Modern Lifestyle & Increased Stress lead to Periodontitis - The new Public Enemy
Periodontitis is the Modern Days Disease
It is well known that modern lifestyle it is not providing any advantages for your health nowadays. The fast rhythm that governs our daily habits and activities is causing a lot of damage to our entire being. I am not talking only about the physical part of our body but also about the emotional component which has also an important role.
More and more young people have started to develop health problems which used to be common for older individuals until 6 or 7 years ago, alarming doctors in developed countries such as UK. Our daily job routine and the lack of time completed by stress of all types and shapes are the main factors which constantly threaten our health. If you add also the famous processed food which contains high quantities of sugar, salt or chemical additives the entire picture is not promising for the future generations.
Being a dentist specialized in oral surgery and periodontology, life has given me the opportunity to interact with patients of all types and ages. I was always curious to find out more about the past of each individual character in order to discover the cause of their problems. The biggest surprise came when all my notes had something in common: every patient diagnosed with Periodontitis had even a very stressful life or repeated episodes of depression somewhere in the past.
Periodontitis is a disease which is considered to affect mainly healthy teeth. Patients who are over 70 years old develop it due to bone loss. Patients over 30 and even younger in some cases, can also develop different forms of aggressive periodontitis which although it seems awkward can be more frequent in those with a proper oral hygiene but with a stressful lifestyle.
The most common question patients always ask me is: “ Why do I have it ? “ and the answer is complex because Periodontitis is caused by a group of factors that act together.
These factors are not common for all patients and as a result Periodontitis has various forms of manifestation divided in several stages. This “silent killer” as I like to call it is unfortunately discovered too late and in many cases the reason is related to patients who do not visit a dentist at least once a year or because of dentists who are not informing patients about this condition. The most common symptoms of Periodontitis are represented by bleeding gums (swollen or not ), gum retraction which exposes the root of the tooth, teeth mobility and also bad breath.
Studies have shown that since 1950 it has been proven a strong connection between periodontitis and emotional factors. Since then, scientists are constantly on the edge of trying to explain the phenomenon through advanced studies. Connecting all the conclusions above which include the modern ways of living along with high exposure to stress and combined with negative emotions, I can strongly sustain the idea that Periodontitis is a disease of the present and future. My advice for those who find themselves in a stressful environment or who had depression episodes in the past, is to consult a specialist in periodontics. Our teeth are as important as our heart, brain, lungs or liver and even these vital organs can be affected by teeth infections.
Above all that periodontitis affects your smile, appearance and even the way you eat, vital aspects which people need to take into account if they want to carry on a decent life. My conservative and minimal invasive way of treating patients has pushed my dedication beyond the boundaries of traditional methods and made me develop a revolutionary treatment which replaces the well known antibiotics with tailored antibodies. As a fact, there will always be new and improved ways in fighting this “enemy” in order to keep the natural teeth where they belong. It is everyone’s choice to bring a change in their lives.
Inspired also from :
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3498705/
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3895311/
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3105564/
