Are you suffering from chronic gum disease? Don’t take it in a casual manner as periodic gum disease may be an indication of heart disease. Do not get surprised that how your mouth can be linked to with your heart problem? Ongoing research work has proved that, there is a close link between gum disease and that of heart. Scientists have established the fact that people suffering from chronic gum disease are more prone to have heart ailments. The risk is almost twice for people having high cholesterol.
How does gum disease have a link with heart problem?
Some bacteria are the key suspects for this scenario. Gum diseases are caused by bacterial infection that not only affects your mouth but also has a greater impact outside mouth cavity. Due to gum disease, these bacteria tend to break the barrier between the gums and the tissues underlying the gums. This may cause some inflammation as well. Bacteria can enter the bloodstream of our body during normal brushing of teeth or chewing of food. Through bloodstream, they are circulated and attached with the fatty deposits in the blood vessels of heart. Thus, blood clots can be formed which may lead to cardiovascular disease.
Now the question is can oral hygiene be responsible for forming arterial plaque? Research showed that oral bacteria might be present in fatty deposits of people suffering from atherosclerosis. These deposits narrow the way of blood arteries and clog them causing massive heart attack or stroke. Even you don’t have any noticeable gum infection, poor oral hygiene can cause bacteria which migrate into the blood circulation. Thus C-reactive protein level is elevated causing cardiovascular diseases.
Who is at more risk of getting affected by this link?
According to http://legacydentaltexas.com/ patients suffering from chronic gum infections like gingivitis or any advanced dental disease are at the highest risk of getting heart problems. Hence it is advised to take a regular care of your oral health.
What are the primary symptoms of gum disease?
If any one of the following symptoms is noticed in your gums, then you are suffering from gum disease-
- Gums become red, swollen.
- While eating, brushing or flossing, gums tend to bleed.
- Gums may look as they are pulling away from teeth
- Frequent bad taste or bad breath in mouth.
- The coherence between the teeth is slowly losing.
What are the preventive measures to be taken?
Now it is well understood that good oral health is also an integral part of our general health. Hence, to take care of your oral hygiene, following precautions may be adopted,
- Brush your teeth twice a day. Be sure that you are using soft bristled brush.
- While brushing take care that brush-bristles reach every tooth surface.
- Floss daily.
- Visit your nearest dentist for a professional cleaning at regular intervals.
- If you are already suffering from heart disease, make sure your dentist is aware of the fact.
Experts suggest that, you take some simple measures to maintain a clean smile with good oral hygiene and you will keep yourself away from the risk of getting deadly heart diseases throughout your life.