MANUKA HONEY

Yes, really! What does periodontal disease have to do with breast cancer? Research is now revealing that your life may depend on your good oral health. The scientific community has now realized a direct link between periodontal disease and nearly all the organs in your body. In October 2010, breast cancer made it on to the list of cancers linked to periodontal disease.
Bleeding, unhealthy gums allow dangerous periodontal bacteria to slip through the broken gum tissue and invade the bloodstream, producing inflammation and disease in other parts of the body. Breast cancer, as well as diabetes, heart attack, stroke, pancreatic cancer, prostate cancer, Alzheimer’s disease and dementia, pregnancy complications, Hodgkin’s Lymphoma, Multiple Myeloma, colon cancer and lung and kidney disease have all been linked to periodontal bacteria. Chronic inflammation causes chronic disease!
 The severity and length of time of your periodontal disease greatly raises your risk of breast cancer. A recent study published in the British medical journal, Open, suggests that poor oral hygiene can increase the risk of early cancer death by as much as 80%.
 Inflammation in the body is associated with nearly all types of cancers, and periodontal disease is an inflammatory disease by nature. Another truly alarming fact is that periodontal disease affects 8 out of 10 adults and it is contagious, easily transmitted from one person to another.
 Most adults will experience some degree of periodontal disease at some point. In fact, if one member of a family is diagnosed with periodontal disease, the American Academy of Periodontology recommends that the entire family be evaluated. By the simple act of eating and drinking after one another, parents infect each other and their children.
Sadly, once you’ve been diagnosed with gum disease, unless properly treated, you will always be at risk for recurrence. Healthy gums can become diseased within only 24 – 36 hours of neglect. Unfortunately, many individuals with periodontal disease aren’t even aware that they have it, since it is a silent disease in its early stages.
 Signs that the disease is present include bad breath and painful or bleeding gums when brushing or flossing. Your gums should not bleed, even when you have your teeth professionally cleaned, just as your scalp should not bleed when you brush your hair.
An excellent diagnostic tool is the oral parasite and bacteria test offered at Dentistry for Health, NY. It’s quick, painless and will reveal in just a few minutes whether or not pathogenic periodontal bacteria are present in your mouth and in what volume.
For more information on Dentistry for Health, NY, please visit www.DentistryForHealthNY.com.