Dental care - Healthy gums, healthy lungs

Healthy teeth and strong gums are not only important for strong bite. Rather, they are also the guarantee of a healthy lung, a study shows. Gingival inflammation with pain and bleeding are extremely concerned viele'Menschen of all ages. You should urgently address the problem with professional help, suggests a study that was published in the Journal of Periodontology.

For people whose mouth is sick, have an increased risk of respiratory ailments such as COPD and lung inflammation. These infections can occur when the bacteria are inhaled and reach the upper pharyngeal region in the respiratory tract. The study involved 200 participants part between 20 and 60 years.

They all had at least 20 natural teeth in the mouth. Half of the participants was due to a respiratory illness such as pneumonia, acute bronchitis or COPD in the hospital, the other half of the healthy control group was without such a medical record. Each participant underwent a comprehensive dental examination.

Bad teeth, lungs strained it became clear that patients with lung disease a worse dental health than the normal subjects - for the researchers is a clear evidence of an association. The scientists suspect that pathogens in the mouth affect the risk of respiratory disease negative. The researchers emphasize that further studies would have to explain this relationship.

"Respiratory disease can be debilitating and very narrow," says Donald Clem, president of the American Academy of Periodontology. "If you regularly visit a dentist can so effectively prevent the development or progression of dangerous diseases such as pneumonia or COPD." Even flossing is important, previous studies had already suggested that gum problems with other chronic diseases such as diabetes, cardiovascular diseases and arthritis could communicate.

Donald Clem stressed the importance of regular dental check-up: "A good dental hygiene means daily brushing and flossing every day use."

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