Dr. Mogell Dental Blog

Boca Raton Cosmetic Dentist

Periodontal Disease and Your Heart Health!

Monday, January 19, 2009

I have spoke to many a patient about the relationship between periodontal disease and cardiovascular disease. Did you know that the effects of periodontal disease can be seen in our blood when tested for C-Reactive Proteins? What is a "C-Reactive Protein"? It is a systemic marker of inflammation that is detectable in our bloodstreams and a documented risk factor for cardiovascular disease in otherwise healthy persons. Many diseases can initiate an increase in C-reactive proteins especially infections; periodontal disease being one of them!

We all know our physicians often check our blood for many different concerns among them cholesterol and sugar. But a recent article in the New York Times highlighting heart disease noted that the blood test for C-Reactive Protein is rarely employed. Dr. Michael Ozner, medical director of the Cardiovascular Prevention Institute of South Florida was quoted "even in people with normal cholesterol, if C-Reactive Protein is elevated, the risk of heart attack is too." He recommends that when people have there cholesterol checked, they should also be tested for C-Reactive Protein levels.

If you have questions with regards to your periodontal health, please give us a call at 561-394-9000 to schedule an appointment for a examination of your periodontium.

Kenneth A. Mogell, D.M.D.