Friday, November 26, 2010

90% of systemic diseases are inflammatory in nature

I see many patients who have periodontal, diabetes, heart and respiratory disease. We now know that 90% of systemic diseases are inflammatory in nature. Our current healthcare model treats us when we are sick. It doesn’t focus much on wellness and prevention. We dentists have been saying for years that periodontal disease can lead to heart disease. Finally, a couple of years ago, the medical profession agreed. We tend to see many of the symptoms of disease much earlier than our medical colleagues. Patients tend to see medical doctors in times of acute pain but not as often for general checkups. They do, however, tend to visit the dentist even when they are healthy. This puts us in a great position to help our patients stay healthy.