How Gum Disease Causes Heart Problems And Other Diseases

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Your teeth make up a healthy mouth. However, there is more to better oral health than pearly white teeth. Gums play a significant role in determining oral health. These are shields against bacteria and inflammation. Keeping gums in great benefits the mouth and other essential body organs especially the heart. Therefore, addressing gum disease immediately is essential for overall health.

A professional dentist offers appropriate assistance to keep the gums healthy. The dental clinic usually has highly skilled and experienced team to offer specialized treatment for gum disease. This might involve use of high tech dental equipment to ensure exceptional oral health.

Read on to discover how gum disease promotes heart problems and other diseases.

Understanding gum disease

Gum or periodontal disease is an infection of the soft tissue around teeth. It might result from poor brushing and flossing habits. Inappropriate brushing and flossing, plaque builds up and hardens on the teeth. With time, you are likely to experience bleeding gums leading to soreness and painful chewing. In severe cases, you might lose some teeth. It is very important to realize that the dire consequences of gum disease go beyond the mouth.

Gum disease and heart disease

Your mouth is the gateway to the body. Your smile is the first thing people first notice about you and impacts your life in various ways. Oral health has a conspicuous impact on overall health. Perhaps your dentist has ever asked about your medical history during an appointment. The Prince George family dentist should know your medical history since issues with your oral health have great impact on other body systems.

The mouth has fatty deposits that harbor bacteria and might cause clogging of arteries leading to heart disease. This bacteria travels from the mouth through your bloodstream leading to inflammation and subsequent cardiovascular disease. Chewing food or brushing teeth is enough to promote the transfer of bacteria from the mouth throughout the body. This explains why most patients suffering from gum disease have higher chances of heart disease.

How oral inflammation affects heart health

There is a strong link between mouth inflammation and cardiovascular disease. When oral bacteria enter the bloodstream, it reaches the heart and attaches to fatty plaques of the coronary arteries. Clogging of the heart blood vessels leads to the formation of blood clots. It is no wonder that coronary artery disease results from thickened walls of the arteries resulting from fatty proteins buildup. With time, this results in heart disease.

Blood clots in the arteries inhibit normal blood flow limiting nutrients and oxygen flow for the heart to work properly. This is the cause of heart attacks. Additionally, oral inflammation encourages the buildup of plaque on the gum line. This leads to clotting and swelling of blood arteries. Blocking blood flow causes severe heart issues including making you suffer a heart attack.

Other diseases resulting from gum disease

Diabetes

Gum disease and diabetes are correlated. According to Diabetes(.co.uk), severe gum disease significantly affects control of blood sugar. This increases chances of experiencing long-term diabetes complications. Gum inflammation allows oral bacteria to get into the bloodstream upsetting the body’s ability to resist attacks inhibiting sugar level control.

Brain disease

Gum disease increases the chances of developing dementia and other brain impairments. Porphyromonas gingivalis is bacteria associated with gum disease that contributes to Alzheimer’s’ disease. This bacteria enhance amyloid-beta production responsible for causing brain plaque to cause Alzheimer’s. Oral bacteria goes into the bloodstream to the brain to increase chances of cognitive problems in various people with poor oral health.

Erectile dysfunction

This condition makes men unable to achieve an erection resulting from psychological or physical conditions. Gum disease encourages gum inflammation leading to progressive destruction of the alveolar bone and connective tissues anchoring teeth in place. When left untreated, you might experience permanent tooth loss. Periodontal bacteria from the infected gums might end up harming the vascular endothelial cells. Endothelial dysfunction in the penis blood vessels adversely affects blood flow causing impotence.

Cancer

Various types of cancer are linked to gum disease. Severe gum disease leads to periodontitis which leads to tooth loss and increases in cancer by 28 percent. The condition leads to damage of gum soft tissue and bone supporting teeth by bacteria. The highest risk is lung cancer and colorectal cancer. Having severe gum disease increases chances of other types of cancer including:

Pancreatic cancer
Colon cancer
Lymphatic cancer
Prostate cancer

Summary

Maintaining good oral health is very important for your smile and overall health. A healthy mouth encourages a good heart while protecting you from other conditions including diabetes, cancer, and cognitive issues. Getting to the heart of the matter requires regular visits to the dentist for a checkup to discover gum disease early before it escalates into periodontitis. This will keep your smile looking beautiful and with a clean bill of health.