For decades the medical community has largely been ignoring the relationship between oral health and total health and well being. In 2001, the Surgeon General of the United States reported that oral health and physical health are inter-dependant. They can not be treated as though they are unrelated. You cannot have total health without having good oral health. Physicians and dentists should be working together and learn. The Centers for Dental Medicine is a new approach in treating periodontal disease that seeks to work with cardiologists, general physicians, and other health care professionals to educate, diagnose, and treat the disease and promote total wellness. We are not just talking about tooth loss anymore. It used to be that taking care of one's oral health was related to preserving teeth or losing teeth and wearing a denture. Letting periodontal disease go untreated is one of the greatest health risks of our day. The latest research shows that periodontal disease, like all diseases causes inflammation. Infected tissue becomes inflamed as the body's defense immune systems fight disease-causing bacteria. As the body fights to rid itself of cells and toxins, passes through the kidneys. The kidneys produce a substance called C-Reactive Protein. The discovery of C-Reactive Protein has created alarm in the medical community. The presence of C-Reactive Protein in the indicates infection or inflammation in the body. A simple test can measure a person's CRP levels. Elevated CRP levels can create at 400% increase in risk for a heart attack. The medical-pharmaceutical team has been unable to develop a miracle pill to effectively reduce dangerous levels of C-Reactive Protein. Your dentist can lower CRP levels. Treating periodontal inflammation effectively can dramatically lower the cause of C-Reactive Protein and greatly reduce the risk of heart disease. A comprehensive periodontal treatment program can also improve one's immune system, help diabetics, reduce the number of low birth-weight babies, and much more.