How Dental Care is Connected to Heart Disease

As one of the leading causes of death, heart disease is a major cause for alarm. Researchers have found that stress, an unhealthy lifestyle and food are the main causes. However, a shocking discovery was that your dental care is directly related to your heart. People who suffer from gum or periodontal disease have a very high probability of getting a heart disease. Take a closer look at how dental care can affect your heart.

How Dental Care is Connected to Heart Disease

1. Bacteria – There are good and bad bacteria in the mouth and the bad ones are responsible for illnesses like chest pain and heart attacks.

2. Gum disease – Gum disease causes open wounds in the mouth that give way for the bad bacteria to enter the blood stream. These already harmful bacteria carry with them fat that can clog the blood stream, blocking blood supply to the brain which causes heart attack or stroke.

3. Inflammation – The harmful bacteria from gum disease enters the blood stream and causes the liver to secrete a lot of c-reactive proteins which cause inflammation. When the inflammation gets worse and clogs the arteries again blood can’t pass to the brain.

4. Tobacco – Cigarettes cause the oral immunity to decline and as a result many oral diseases occur such as gingivitis and cancer. If these oral problems are ignored they can eventually lead to a heart attack.

5. Diet – The loss of teeth forces a person to change their diet. Toothless people or those with dentures eat soft food meaning starch and fatty foods and eat less or no fiber. This unbalanced diet plays a big role in causing a heart disease.

Who are likely to get a Heart Disease from poor Dental Care?

1. Women – Women are more prone to get oral diseases than men because of their hormonal imbalances during the various stages of their lives like menstruation, pregnancy and menopause. Women often suffer from mouth sores and swollen gums and if this occurs during pregnancy it can harm the baby.

2. Cigarette smokers – Tobacco can lead to oral problems and bad bacteria. Smokers suffer from bleeding gums and gingivitis.

The relationship between dental care and heart disease goes both ways. People being treated for heart problems have a higher risk of getting oral diseases because of the heart medication.

Ways to Avoid Dental Problems

Doctors recommend that everybody gets a regular dental check up at least twice a year because it’s now a matter of life and death. Other measures are;

• Keep a strict dental care routine. Brush twice a day and floss daily.
• Watch what you put into your mouth. Avoid sweets that cause tooth decay and eat a balanced diet with high fiber content and calcium.

For oral surgery-related information, contact Wagner Oral Surgery and Dental Implant Specialists at (262) 634-4646 today.