PORTAL TO THE REST OF THE BODY.
Another reason to maintain good oral health routine is to prevent gum bacteria that cause dental plaque to escape from the mouth into the bloodstream.This can trigger blood clots that increase a risk of heart attack and heart disease. Bacteria in the mouth is normal and contributes to plaque that forms on the surface of teeth.
Bacteria live within us, yet they live in areas that have a direct channel to the outside. Such as the mouth, intestines and the surface of the skin. These areas are well protected by a layer of epithelial cells. These cells form a protective barrier to keep away harmful bacteria. Although there are healthy stomach bacteria that help it function. The lungs and digestive tract are also direct channels to the outside. This is why bacteria can live in them without causing any trouble. That is unless an overgrowth of bacteria in these areas can cause illness.
When bacteria gets through that epithelial barrier and into the tissues of your body. Poor dental hygiene can lead to bleeding gums. This, in turn, can provide bacteria with a route into the bloodstream. Here they can cause blood clots
Once bacteria gets into the bloodstream it can travel anywhere within the body. It’s not limited to only the blood vessels in the mouth. It can also bypass a lot of other cellular barriers such as the blood-brain barrier. This keeps bacteria out of your brain. The placental barrier is also easy to bypass by bacteria. This barrier is the one that guards the passage of substances between a mother and the fetus.
How it works
Bacteria releases a chemical that infects the cells that make up blood vessels. These are endothelial cells. This, in turn, causes the cells to become more permeable. This means bacterial chemical binds to a protein on the cells. This protein helps to keep the endothelial cells joined together and migrate away from the cell junction. This opens the junctions up and makes the whole vessel more permeable.
The bacterial chemical is a molecule, that’s conserved in F. nucleated. As well as related to oral bacterial species. It’s related to other species which do not populate the human mouth. This is a protein with one specific purpose. To open blood vessels, and where that function is not needed the bacteria has no need for the protein. When it’s first made by the cell it exists in a form called pre-FabA which anchors to the bacterial membrane with the soluble part on the outside of the bacteria ready to be deployed.
Regular and gentle brushing of your teeth is important for keeping bacteria at bay. Yet it’s important to know that non-gentle brushing of teeth can damage the gums and open blood vessels. This, in turn, causes bacteria to enter and spread through the bloodstream and potentially attach to damaged areas in the heart or other places in the body. For more information on bacteria in the mouth contact us and schedule an appointment. Be sure all our procedures are handled with care and cleanliness to ensure no risk of bacteria will enter your blood stream.