It’s fitting that February is all about love and hearts since it’s recognized as American Heart Month! When you think about how to keep your heart healthy, do you think about your flossing routine? A growing body of evidence suggests that we should. Not only does our oral health influence our overall wellbeing, but researchers believe that the health of your gums can impact the health of your heart. Read on as your Melbourne dentist explains how healthy teeth and gums may be good for your heart.
Connecting Oral and Overall Health
Nearly 90% of whole-body health conditions present symptoms in the mouth. Since these systemic issues disturb your oral health, your dentist may be the first to identify diseases like:
- Diabetes: Due to the body’s lowered resistance to infection, diabetes increases risk of chronic bad breath, easily bleeding gums, and periodontal disease.
- Osteoporosis: This condition can be caught by routine X-rays of your jaw during your regular dental checkups, since it results in a loss of bone density.
- Several types of cancers: Cancers from different parts of the body may manifest as swollen glands, strange bumps on the throat and neck, or abnormalities in the gums.
On the other hand, poor oral hygiene appears to contribute to a variety of overall health conditions. Harmful oral bacteria from an unhealthy mouth may travel to and infect other parts of the body, like:
- The lungs: Certain types of bacteria can be inhaled into the lungs to cause respiratory disease like pneumonia.
- The womb: Harmful bacteria associated with periodontal (gum) disease are linked to premature birth as well as low birth weight.
- The brain: A few strains of dangerous oral bacteria may be able to travel to the brain to cause memory loss, dementia, and Alzheimer’s disease.
Linking Gum Disease and Heart Health
Recently, the relationship between unhealthy gums and cardiovascular disease has become of particular interest to health and dental experts alike. According to recent studies, the presence of an oral infection like gum disease increases the risk of heart disease by 20%. Researchers believe this could be the result of harmful bacteria escaping into the bloodstream, traveling to the heart, and infecting its inner linings. Additionally, a prolonged immune response to gum disease could spread inflammation throughout the body and clog important arteries.
How to Keep Your Smile and Heart Healthy
Since both gum disease and heart disease impact more than half of Americans each, it’s important to do whatever we can to prevent both. Although more research is needed to determine if treating gum disease protects against heart disease, experts highly recommend that you stay healthy by:
- Brushing your teeth for two minutes twice a day
- Using dental floss and mouthwash daily.
- Limiting the amount of sugar in your diet.
- Getting a dental checkup every six months.
- Watching out for symptoms of gum disease and talking to your dentist about your concerns.
About the Author
Dr. Beverly Rose has been helping the beautiful smiles of Melbourne, FL stay healthy and gum disease-free since 1996. She highly encourages all her patients to come in every six months for preventive dental cleanings to remove any built-up plaque and tartar. This also helps to detect any signs of gum disease as early as possible so it can be treated quickly and effectively with services like deep cleanings or antibiotic therapy. If you’re concerned about the health of your gums, feel free to contact her via her website or at (321) 259-4666.