This entry was posted on 8/8/2007 12:45 PM and is filed under ARTICLES.
If the eyes are the window to the soul, then the mouth may be the watchtower of a person's health.
Doctors believe there is a 90 percent association between the condition of the mouth and certain body diseases.
Ninety percent of all systemic diseases, including diabetes and chronic liver disease, show up as oral symptoms in the mouth, researchers say.
Several studies have found that people who have periodontal disease or other signs of oral infection are more likely to have heart attacks, heart disease or strokes. The increased likelihood of cardiovascular disease ranges from 20 percent to 280 percent.
Plaque and inflammation of the gums, which leads to gingivitis and periodontitis, also are associated with diabetes and cardiac disease.
