The role that oral inflammation plays as a pathway to the rest of the body is becoming much better understood, making the control and prevention of gingivitis and periodontitis a critical part of optimal patient care.
The oral cavity is the portal to the rest of the body. Within the past decade, an emerging body of evidence has linked oral infections, primarily chronic inflammatory periodontitis to systemic conditions including atherosclerosis, diabetes mellitus, Alzheimer's disease, kidney disease, bacterial pneumonia and obesity. All of these systemic issues may have an inflammatory, infectious, and/or bacterial component in common with periodontitis.
The dental hygienist plays an important role in the total systemic health treatment of patients with periodontal infections. A complete evaluation can assess the patient's risk of the future development, progression or recurrence of inflammatory periodontal diseases. This is especially important if the patient has one or more systemic risk factors, such as smoking, hyperglycemia, high cholesterol, or a familial history of hyperlipidemia. Genetic factors may play a significant role in 50% of patients with periodontal diseases.
Instead of merely treating the patient to stop the initiation of progression of periodontitis, today we want to control periodontal infection and inflammation that may affect other regions of the body. The focus of periodontal treatment is to attack the chronic inflammation. Essentially, periodontal disease should be treated as oral inflammation that must be controlled for better oral and overall health. Dealing with the inflammatory response to the bacteria is a main paradigm shift in the treatment of the periodontal patient.
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