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Comprehensive General Dental Care for the Adult and Child, Including: Preventive, Restorative (Including Cosmetic Restorations), Prosthetic (fixed, removable, and implants), Endodontic (root canals) and Periodontal Care. |
Periodontal therapy lowers
levels of heart disease inflammation markers
Treating periodontal disease with scaling and root planing combined with a topical antibiotic gel can significantly lower the levels of two inflammatory proteins associated with a heightened risk of heart disease, scientists from the State University of New York at Buffalo report. Blood drawn from 102 subjects with periodontal disease showed elevated levels of both C-reactive protein and fibrinogen, proteins associated with increased risk for heart disease and blood clotting. All of the subjects were free of other conditions that could cause elevated levels of the proteins. Scientists from the UB School of Dentistry's Department of Oral Biology divided the subjects into two groups to determine if periodontal therapy would be effective in lowering the levels of the heart disease markers. One group received scaling and root planing treatment while the second group received treatment with the topical antibiotic Atridox followed by scaling and root planing. Based on a treatment regimen at three, six and nine months and blood samples taken at six weeks and at three, six, nine and 12 months, repeated periodontal treatment resulted in a significant reduction in the systemic levels of the inflammation markers, the UB scientists said. "People who have high levels of CRP in their blood are at high risk of heart disease," Dr. Sara Grossi, senior author of the study, said. "Our results showed that in people who had elevated levels of CRP at baseline, removal of dental plaque bacteria by scaling or scaling combined with topical antibiotics produced a statistically significant reduction, bringing CRP levels close to the low-risk level." "Both treatments also significantly reduced levels of fibrinogen in patients with elevated fibrinogen levels," she added. The research was supported by grants from the U.S. Public Health Service, National Institutes of Health and Atrix Laboratories Inc. |