Being fat is not a blessing! Increased risk of periodontal disease

Periodontal disease is one of the most common oral diseases in China. Most cases of periodontal disease are almost imperceptible, so we often tend to ignore it. Periodontal disease is not only an oral disease, it is also a systemic disease of the whole body! But did you know that obesity is linked to periodontal disease? According to research, obesity is closely related to periodontal disease. People with a BMI greater than 27 have a 7% higher chance of developing periodontal disease in the future. Not only that, periodontal disease is also related to cardiovascular disease, diabetes, oral cancer and other diseases.

Obesity can easily cause oxidative stress, which in turn causes inflammation and periodontal disease.

Obesity, diabetes, and oral cancer are closely related to periodontal disease

Fan Jingyuan, assistant professor of the Department of Health Industry Management at Kainan University, pointed out that people who are obese, have high blood sugar and high triglycerides are more likely to suffer from periodontal disease than the average person. A BMI value greater than 27 is considered overweight, which can easily increase oxidative stress, leading to an inflammatory response and increasing the risk of periodontal disease. To reduce oxidative stress and prevent periodontal disease, you can do moderate exercise to eliminate free radicals and reduce inflammatory responses. You also need to eat more fresh fruits. It is best to choose fruits rich in vitamin C, flavonoids and other antioxidants, which can effectively reduce the risk of periodontal disease.

Periodontal pockets are the basis for determining periodontal disease. Those with pocket depth greater than 4mm require active treatment of periodontal disease. 54% of adults in Taiwan have periodontal pockets, which is approximately 9.7 million people. However, there are no obvious symptoms in the early stages of periodontal disease, and it can be said that they are almost imperceptible. If you feel your teeth loosening or falling out, it means that the teeth are nearing the end of their life and can only rely on dental implants.

Data from a "National Periodontal Disease Survey" conducted by the Preparatory Committee of the Taiwan Dental Health Care Association showed that the probability of diabetic patients suffering from periodontal disease is 2 to 4 times that of those without diabetes. It also has a comorbid relationship with obesity, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, etc., and periodontal disease cases will increase the chance of oral precancerous lesions or oral cancer by 25%. It can be seen from this that periodontal disease is not only a disease of the oral cavity, but also a systemic inflammatory disease.

Brushing your teeth every morning and evening, eating more fresh fruits, and drinking less beverages are all good ways to prevent periodontal disease.

Statistics also show that middle-aged and older men, those who smoke, chew betel nuts, do not eat fruit, consume high-sugar beverages, and have poor oral hygiene habits are more likely to get periodontal disease. Smoking has the highest probability of causing periodontal disease, accounting for 17%; followed by high-sugar beverages, which can increase the risk of periodontal disease by 16%.

Dental floss is more important than toothbrush in preventing periodontal disease

How can I reduce my risk of periodontal disease? Lai Hongming, chairman of the preparatory committee of the Taiwan Dental Health Care Association, who is a dentist himself, suggested that eating more fresh fruits, drinking less beverages, quitting smoking, drinking alcohol and betel nuts, and exercising moderately can all reduce the generation of free radicals and reduce inflammatory factors in the body, which are good ways to protect dental health. In addition, brushing your teeth in the morning and evening, strengthening personal oral hygiene habits, seeing a dentist for regular check-ups every six months, thoroughly scraping the gaps between teeth with dental floss every day, and using a toothbrush to clean the surface of teeth to reduce plaque adhesion are all effective ways to prevent periodontal disease.

If you already have periodontal disease, you should receive treatment as soon as possible to reduce the risk of tooth loss or tooth extraction. Dentist Lai Hongming said that basic treatment for periodontal disease requires 6 sessions, which are covered by health insurance and include detailed examination, plaque scraping, correct oral hygiene instruction, follow-up visits, etc. If basic treatment still cannot effectively control periodontal disease, surgical scraping is required. If surgery cannot save teeth with periodontal disease, tooth extraction, dental implants and other surgeries are necessary.

★《Warning》Ignore periodontal disease and beware of stroke