As a human dental hygienist of 14 years experience I felt compelled to
respond to a recent posting.
 
The bacteria is not inhaled.  When a person or a ferret has a periodontal
infection (gingivitis or gum disease), the gum tissue is inflamed and
bleeds quite easily.  This allows the bacteria in the mouth to enter the
blood stream, where it can stick to heart valves and cause bacterial
endocarditis (a life-threatening infection of the heart).  Recently, it
has also been found that gum disease is as much a risk factor for coronary
heart disease as elevated cholesterol.  The bacteria stick to the arterial
walls allowing the further accumulation of plaque, thereby restricting
the flow of blood.  It can also make blood sugar in diabetics harder to
stabilize and even results in low birth-weight babies.  The bottom line is
gum disease is not limited to affecting your mouth alone, it has serious
repercussions to your overall systemic health.  Keeping your teeth and your
ferrets' teeth clean helps keep everybody healthy(and me employed!) ;-)
 
Dodie the Dental Hygienist, in South Jersey
 
[Sukie who is wondering if it might also affect the opposite of diabetes,
insulinoma, and planning on a trip to vet's office this weekend buy some
enzymatic toothpaste to add to our ferrets' routine.]
[Posted in FML issue 3443]