Dental Air Force

CRP (C-reactive protein) is an indicator for general inflammation in the body. It is one of several cytokines and is often used interchangeably when talking about either. Cytokines are the invisible enemy; the higher the number, the higher the level of inflammation in the body. Periodontal disease creates biofilms which creates infection which creates higher levels of cytokines.

In the presence of infection, the blood cells (that are racing around looking for infections) release the cytokines and tell the body to manufacture more blood cells. Periodontal disease is chronic so there is a never ending call for the body to manufacture more blood cells and release more cytokines.

This merry-go-round is what is stressing out the body. Unfortunately, these cytokines inflame all the internal lumens of arteries (not just the gums and tissue around the teeth) and are responsible for a cascade effect for many systemic diseases, such as heart disease, cerebral vascular disease, diabetes, pancreatic cancer, respiratory diseases, oral and throat cancer, lung cancer, prostatitis, erectile dysfunction, children with low birth weight, chronic fatigue syndrome and most recently osteoporosis and breast cancer, These cytokines interact with the whole body’s system causing inflammatory immune response or stress.

Professional dental cleanings strip the biofilm in the mouth, similar to cutting down a forest. In literally hours, the biofilm is trying to reorganize.

 Left unchecked, the new biofilm (forest) is reorganized (re-grown) in seventy days. Microscopic destruction occurs within a week. Ten times the amount of damage to the body is done between the third to the sixth month after a cleaning versus the first to the third month after a cleaning.

That is why three month professional dental cleanings are so important. The cleanings gets rid of the biofilm, gets rid of the inflammatory process and gets rid of the cytokines, which is taxing the entire system. Professional cleanings will not do it on its own. Three dimensional home cleaning (around each tooth) is essential to maintaining low levels of inflammatory response.