A revolutionary saliva test could help identify a range of serious health conditions years before symptoms arise.
The simple swab process can detect harmful enzymes that may be a precursor to serious gum disease problems, but it can also indicate a risk of heart attack.
The test, which costs from £50, could provide a vital early warning that could allow doctors to start treatments with patients to modify their lifestyles before conditions develop that cause serious harm.
The test provides a traffic light indication of gum disease within ten minutes and also flags the risk of other problems, such as heart disease, diabetes and even dementia.
“The new test acts as an alarm system,” said Dr Fazeela Khan-Osborne, a leading Harley Street dentist who is introducing the Periosafe test as part of routine consultations.
‘Our mouth contains millions of bacteria and many pose a considerable risk to both oral health and other conditions such as heart disease and diabetes.
‘This gives us a vital new tool to help diagnose any problems and allow patients to receive appropriate treatment.
“This test detects problems at an early stage rather than playing catch-up.”
A revolutionary saliva test could help identify a number of serious health problems years before symptoms arise
Gum disease is a significant burden on the NHS and research has shown that it can be a marker for other serious health conditions.
Stopping new cases of gum disease would save the NHS £5.5 billion over ten years, according to recent reports.
Dr Fazeela Khan-Osborne believes the test could have a dramatic impact on gum health and ultimately help save lives.
She said: “The mouth contains millions of bacteria, but only some of them pose a risk because they are more numerous than they should be.
‘The identification of these bacterial groups allows us to classify patients with these risk factors.
‘If this risk factor is high, it allows dentists like me to perform deeper examinations and create a personalized plan for my patients, as well as refer them to other health professionals.
‘Seeing a hygienist, using an electric toothbrush, and using a fluoride toothpaste are just some of the ways patients can physically help reduce the population of these dangerous insects and improve their chances against gum disease. .
‘Your mouth is a marker and acts as a window to the rest of your overall health; It may show deficiencies and tell your dentist that there may be a problem elsewhere in the body.
Almost 4.3 million people were living with diabetes in 2021/22, according to the latest UK figures. And another 850,000 people have diabetes and are completely unaware of it
While some warning signs of a cardiovascular problem are easy to spot, such as severe chest pain, others are more vague and difficult to identify.
“Dental check-ups are as important as check-ups with your GP.”
The development comes amid an ongoing dental health crisis. A quarter of adults have delayed dental care or treatment because of cost, an official survey released earlier this month revealed.
One in three also said the cost of dentistry has affected the type of care or treatment they will receive, while a quarter do not brush their teeth at least twice a day.
The survey included 6,343 responses from 4,429 households in England and was commissioned by the Government Office for Health Improvement and Disparities.
Overall, 66 percent of people said they had very good or good oral health, 26 percent said it was fair, and seven percent said it was poor or very poor.
The findings come a month after a damning report by the Nuffield Trust, a health think tank, warned that NHS dentistry “has disappeared forever” and must be rationed for those most in need.
He described it as the most dangerous time in its 75-year history and said patients would have to be means-tested to survive.
Patients have told of being unable to find an NHS dentist, and some have resorted to pulling their teeth themselves after enduring disabling pain.
The new survey found that only 63 percent of people go to the dentist for regular checkups, 15 percent go occasionally and 18 percent go only when they have problems with their mouth, teeth or dentures.
Meanwhile, almost half of all adults (47 percent) have been affected by their teeth in the last year: 28 percent said they had felt self-conscious, 24 percent found eating any food uncomfortable, and 20 percent had problems with their teeth. aching pain in the mouth.
A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said: “Access to dentistry is improving – last year 1.7 million more adults and around 800,000 more children visited an NHS dentist, and we have also announced plans to increase dental training places by 40 percent.
“We want every adult and child who needs an NHS dentist to get one regardless of where in England they live.”