Inflammation: "The Secret Killer"

It is a well established fact that chronic oral infections can significantly, if not certainly, increase the risk of acquiring or worsening serious health problems like heart and lung disease, diabetes, stroke, and premature or low birth weight. According to the American Diabetes Association, approximately 90% of adult Americans have or will have gum disease some time in their lives.

If we take a minute to consider gum disease, which is a kind of chronic bacterial infection, it is easy to see how this condition can contribute to systematic inflammation turned chronic. A chronic infection like gum disease can undoubtedly affect the way in which your body's inflammatory reaction performs. When let untreated, it can persist as an ongoing infection in our mouths. Remember, gum disease is caused by an infectious, contagious bacterium that invades the delicate soft tissue of our gums - and inflammation is what causes our gums to become red and inflamed.

Research on inflammation is uncovering a fascinating network of interconnections between various diseases that we never dreamed would be inter-related. Inflammation can explain the connection between chronic oral infections and heart disease, stroke, and diabetes, to name just a few. This is because chronic inflammation in one area of the body can affect the rest of the body, and when we treat inflammation in one part of the body, other parts of the body also become healthier. And it's why the former U.S. Surgeon General said, "You are not healthy without good oral health".

So if we eliminate the germs on our toothbrush bristles by sanitizing our toothbrushes prior to every use, then we can bring a final end to chronic infection and re-infection from germs on our toothbrushes, and hopefully help to prevent, or at least minimize, chronic mouth infections like gum disease. Putting an end to chronic mouth infections will eradicate the need for a chronic inflammatory response in the mouth, and thereby reduce inflammation throughout the body. Remember, the mouth is the body's prime gateway for bacterial invasion and infection. Why not do everything we can to prevent recurring instances of infection directly at the source?