Gum Disease Can Be a Real Headache

Here’s some more news linking serious gum disease with other “systemic” issues affecting the rest of the body. This recent link: Migraines.

Anyone that suffers from migraines knows all too well the debilitating effects of these intense headaches. Pain, nausea and sensitivity to light and sound are common responses that reduce quality of life, enough so that migraine is considered a neurological disease.

In a recently published review in the European Journal of Neurology, researchers report that patients with periodontitis (severe gum disease) may have an 80% greater risk of experiencing migraines as compared to individuals with healthy gums.  Through the meta-analysis (results pulled from multiple, independent studies), a significant association was established with “an acceptable degree… to recommend periodontal clinical intervention to prevent migraine.”

This is Not a New Conclusion

The American Migraine Foundation has also noted that gum disease could be a possible risk factor for the complex disease of migraine, saying that “periodontal disease may drive a systemic inflammatory response that triggers migraine.”

Periodontitis affects important supporting gum and bone tissue which, if not addressed with proper treatment, can result in tooth loss. The chronic inflammation from gum disease is also associated with numerous other serious diseases such as diabetes, heart and respiratory diseases, Alzheimer’s Disease, kidney and pancreatic cancer and more.

Don’t Delay Treatment!

At South Florida Center for Periodontics & Implant Dentistry, we treat  gum disease with deep cleaning beneath the gums, pocket reduction surgery, LANAP® laser-assisted new attachment procedure, bone and gum grafting, guided tissue and other regeneration techniques and more.

Contact us today at 561-912-9993. Referrals are always welcomed but are not required.