Oral health is a holistic health priority. YOUR MOUTH—YOUR LIFE by Jean-Max Jean-Pierre, DDS, MDS, is an easily understandable guide to the relationship between oral health and systemic health. Not only does Periodontist Jean-Max Jean-Pierre describe how the health of your mouth and what you eat affect inflammation in your body, but he also provides compelling research evidence and statistics surrounding the connection between oral health and a host of specific systemic disease conditions.

Untreated inflammation in the mouth—in the form of periodontal (gum) disease, dental abscess, and other infections, elevates levels of systemic inflammation and may actually cause vascular disease, respiratory disease, dementia, and diabetes in otherwise healthy individuals. Periodontal disease is a chronic problem for many individuals due to their genetic makeup, diet, tobacco use, oral hygiene, and other factors. According to a 2012 Centers for Disease Control study, in the USA, gum disease affects 56.4% of men, 38.4% of women, and 64.2% of smokers.

This book will help you realize just how critical it is to maintain good oral health and treat gum inflammation of any degree. You’ll know how your oral health puts you at increased risk for cardiovascular disease, stroke, heart attack, diabetes, Alzheimer’s disease, dementia, metabolic syndrome, inflammatory bowel disease, arthritis, osteoporosis, kidney disease, respiratory disease, cancer—and more. You’ll also learn that systemic disease makes it more difficult to maintain the optimal oral health you need to improve your systemic disease condition.

If you suffer from heart disease, diabetes, Crohn’s disease, rheumatoid arthritis, or another of the many inflammatory diseases, you need to understand how neglecting your oral health and proper nutrition makes the disease condition worse. And, you need to know just how helpful improving your oral health can be in fighting inflammation throughout your body.

Twice-a-year visits to a dental hygienist simply are not adequate preventive care for millions of us. Optimal care to fight oral inflammation and thus the quality and longevity of your life is individualized. In this book, you will learn what you can do to take control of your periodontal health and the types of clinical treatments you may need on an occasional or frequent basis. If you have frequent or chronic gum inflammation or other oral infections, seeking the care of a periodontal specialist may save your life.

If you are suffering from systemic disease, you will be glad to know others have improved their health through active control of periodontal inflammation. Dr. Jean-Pierre has included stories about some of his patients with heart disease, diabetes, and severe arthritis, who have improved their whole health by complying with his recommended clinical treatment and oral hygiene regimen.