Many first-time patients who visit Dental Care of Pomona think that we only treat the teeth, but oral health is far more than that. Just as essential as dental health is gum health, as the gums protect teeth and nerves. Poor gum health can lead to terrible lifelong conditions such as gingivitis or periodontitis, otherwise known as gum disease. This is a degenerative disease that eventually starts to affect other parts of the body, and can be fatal if ignored. But can gum disease can heart disease?
Can Gum Disease Cause Heart Disease?
Can gum disease cause heart disease and similarly dangerous health conditions? Recent studies have shown that people with poor oral health are at a higher risk of cardiovascular problems as time goes on. Let’s hear what your Pomona dental experts have to say.
Finding the Link
While everybody’s health needs are different, researchers have found a few common links between gum disease and heart disease. It is possible that gum disease may lead to heart disease, or they are both caused at the same time by an outside risk (such as smoking tobacco). Here’s how they are connected:
Blood Vessel Inflammation
The first way that gum disease can lead to heart disease is through inflammation of the blood vessels. Infection and preceding inflammation spread through blood vessels to increase your risk of cardiovascular events. While there are many different sources of inflammation, this is one way that infection can spread quickly to the heart.
Heart Valve Infection
If you have heart valve disease, your risks may be increased with the presence of gum disease. Bacteria that build up in the mouth can quickly travel through the bloodstream, infecting respiratory valves. It may not be the infection itself, but the immune system’s response to the infection makes inflammation spread.
Reducing the Risk of Gum Disease
The best way to reduce your risk of cardiovascular disease – and the gum disease that causes it – is to practice prevention. You can take preventative measures by seeking easy and affordable treatments through your local experts. But you don’t need to wait until your appointment date to start protecting your teeth and gums.
Check for Symptoms
You may not notice some of the symptoms of gum disease until it becomes more advanced, which is why it is more important than ever to regularly check for the following:
Bleeding every time you brush or floss your teeth
Swollen, tender, or red gums
Receding gumline
Teeth becoming separated or loose
Constant bad breath
If you discover any of the above symptoms, it’s time to get in touch with an expert right away.
Call Your Dentist
A visit to the dentist’s office is necessary as soon as you suspect you may be dealing with gum inflammation. The early stages of gum disease, known as gingivitis, can be treated easily through regular treatment. It is important that you seek treatment ASAP because gingivitis becomes more difficult to deal with as it advances.
Practice Routine Hygiene
To keep up with preventative measures, it is important that you practice oral health every day. Maintain a schedule of brushing and flossing twice a day, use mouthwash often, and avoid hard foods against sensitive teeth.
Prevent Gum and Heart Problems Now!
Infections can spread quickly throughout the body, and it’s important to stop it before it has serious effects on your heart. Get in touch with your dental experts today and sign up for gum disease treatment in Pomona. Your gum and dental health is too important to ignore and can have deathly effects if the infection spreads. Whether you are experiencing symptoms or not, a routine checkup is in order to keep you on track with your best health.
