Chills, Fever, Heart Attack

Don't let flu season be heart attack season. Studies are showing that if you get the flu and you have periodontal disease, the additional inflammation can cause even more harm to your body.

First, studies are linking periodontal disease (perio), a chronic bacterial inflammation, to heart disease, stroke, diabetes, pancreatic cancer and pneumonia.


According to the American Academy of Periodontology, perio bacteria enter your bloodstream and travel to your heart. They can also be inhaled into the lungs (within one minute, according to research). The bacteria attach to plaque clumps that accumulate on your artery walls. Some studies suggest that there is a correlation between perio bacteria and the protein that creates blood clots. When a clot dislodges, it can cause a heart attack or stroke.

Second, the flu is also associated with inflammation. Flu makes your heart race. Your heart works harder when it strains to obtain enough oxygen, which can dislodge plaque clumps.

If you have perio and the flu, the combined effects from both inflammations put tremendous stress on your body.


We can't predict if you will get the flu, but we can keep your teeth and gums healthy. If you have perio, it is critical that we get it under control as quickly as possible. We use a special cleaning technique that can include medications to control the perio inflammation.

Unfortunately, once you have perio, you will always have it. There is no cure; we can only treat and manage it.

Home oral care is important when you have perio. Brush with fluoride toothpaste at least twice each day and floss once daily. Follow up with regular hygiene exams. If you have perio, we might need to schedule more frequent therapy appointments.

Healthy teeth and gums do your body good.


Houston dentist
Minh Nguyen, D.D.S.

When your plate is full

If you were dining in a restaurant and the waitperson kept putting more food on your plate, you would likely say you were full. Does it not make sense to do the same when your being—your emotions, intellect, and spirit—is on overload? Know when your plate is full and you will be much happier.

In today's fast pace, few encouraging words are given in the workplace for a balanced and thoughtful life, in which one has clear priorities of family, physical, spiritual, and mental health. A common attitude has become "the more stress you can handle the better." Compliments are given to those who look haggard while saying, "Boy, what a rough day! I had twelve hours of nonstop work."

Eight common signs of having too full a plate are:

1. People close to you suggest you slow down.
2. There are no more people close to you.
3. The mere thought of working less brings on anxiety.
4. Rather than relaxing on vacation you bring along "just a little" work or have a long list of things to do or sights to see. Or, you begin to feel anxious on returning from a holiday.
5. You spend less and less time doing activities that are important to you.
6. Little, insignificant things easily annoy you.
7. Your body reacts with frequent illness.
8. You die young.

It is possible that you live a life so constantly full of stress that you have become acclimated to it. Even when your plate is full you may continue to take on more. In fact, you may be so used to stress that when it is not there it feels like something is wrong.

You may believe that you have no choice other than to live with your current level of stress.

Think again. Your stress can be reduced. Begin by:

Knowing when your plate is full and responding accordingly!

Houston dentist
Minh Nguyen, D.D.S.
www.softdental.com