Treating Gum Disease will help with Blood Pressure
New research reveals that aggressive treatment of gum disease will help in lowering high blood pressure in people at high risk. The research was carried out on 107 Chinese men and women who were aged 18 years and older who suffered from pre-hypertension (blood pressure on the high end of normal range) and moderate to severe gum disease.
50 percent of the study participants were put through intensive treatment for gum disease whereas the other half received the standard treatment for gum treatment.
The standard treatment entailed professional cleaning of teeth to remove plaque and basic oral hygiene instructions. On the other hand, intensive treatment involved standard treatment as well as cleaning down to the roots of teeth, removal of teeth where necessary, and antibiotic treatment.
Following one month of gum disease treatment, systolic blood pressure fell by 3 points in the group receiving intensive treatment compared to the group undergoing standard treatment. There was no difference in diastolic blood pressure for the two groups.
After three months of treatment, the intensive treatment group had systolic blood pressure that was 8 points lower and diastolic pressure that was 4 point lower. The change was nearly 13 points for systolic pressure and 10 points for diastolic pressure in the intensive treatment group after six months of treatment.
Dr. Jun Tao, the lead author, said that the study is the first of its kind to show that intensive periodontal intervention alone can reduce blood pressure levels, improve endothelial function, and inhibit inflammation.
The findings were presented at the annual meeting of the American Heart Association (AHA). The importance of the findings cannot be overemphasized since one in every three adults in the US has high blood pressure according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
High blood pressure is a major risk factor for stroke and heart attack.
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Dr Ashley Davenport BDS MFGDP(UK)
I qualified as a dentist in 1995 and can honestly say that I have been doing a job that I love for the past 20 plus years. Most people who know me well know that dentistry is a passion for me and that if I won the lottery I would still want to have some dentistry in my life. I get huge satisfaction from treating patients and making a difference to ...
Dr Catherine Myatt BDS MFGDP(UK)
Cath joined the practice as a dentist in 2002. She and Ashley met on their postgraduate Vocational Training course in Birmingham when they ended up working at the same practice in West Bromwich. When Ashley was looking for an associate at Balsall Common Dental Practice, Cath came to take the role and she has been here ever since. In 2017 Cath...
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