Experts Warn About One More Of Possible Gum Disease Causes

We all know that our pets are our best friends. Those who owe dogs, cats, guinea pigs, birds, fishes, or other pets are usually less prone to negative effects of stresses, are more fit, more responsible and friendly. At the same time, there are certain risks and dangers related to owing a pet. Most of those negative effects are well known, and recently, a study published in the journal Archives of Oral Biology has pointed to one more risk of spending quality time with our pets. Some cat or dog owners like letting the pets enter their personal space, as well as enjoy kissing their pets letting them lick their lips. It turned out that kissing your cat or dog can be linked to increased risks of catching serious dental infections, along with very high risk of suffering from gum disease and all the related complications.

We already know that we are exposed to increased risk of dental infections when we visit dental clinics or have our dental procedures in the services which do not observe the requirements as to preserving and disinfecting their dental care tools and equipment. According to the findings of Japanese scientists, kissing our pets can lead to increased risk of dental infections, too, and even be one of the key gum disease causes. Gum disease or periodontal disease is a serious dental condition cause by chronic inflammation of gums cause by quite common bacteria. A great deal of people around the world suffer from this serious disease, and if left untreated, this dental condition can cause very serious things, including bone decay, tooth loss, serious inflammation of other important body organs, and so on.

As the analysis of the Japanese experts has shown, overwhelming majority of dogs, cats, and other pets which are kept at home and  properly cared about still have gum disease. Unlike humans, gum disease in pets is less dangerous, and only as much as 5 per cent of animals and pets with periodontal disease can have tooth cavity or other similar kind of dental problem. However, potentially very harmful oral bacteria can easily be passed from pets to their owners, imposing the latter to increased risk of dental infections and becoming one of common gum disease causes. Japanese scientists found out that 16 per cent of those pet owners who like kissing and getting into a close contact with their pets have got oral bacteria from their dogs or cats. The scientists found 10 human bacteria related to periodontal disease which can be easily received from pets by kissing or getting involved in other similar close contact.

As the researchers say, the risk of dental infections and the chances to actually get infected for pet masters depend to a great extent on daily dental care habits of pet owners. ‘Many of the different types of bacteria in dogs and cats are the same type of bacteria as in humans. If owners practice oral hygiene on their pets, such as  brushing their teeth, a pet’s mouth can actually be even cleaner than a human mouth,’ Dr Paulo Maza, an expert of the College of Veterinary Medicine at Cornell University, commented on the findings. Besides, he believes that dental bacteria received from pets should not be considered a serious threat and become one of common gum disease causes. Dr. Maza is convinced that the bacteria we can possibly get from pets need time to get adapted in human mouth, and most of such bacteria types can actually be swallowed by pet owners, this way being evacuated from mouth quickly. Find more information about this interesting study and the findings of Japanese experts in this article.

Tags: gum disease causes, risk of dental infections