Gum Disease

Connection between gum disease and physical health

It is still not a common public knowledge that there is a connection of your physical health and gum disease or periodontal disease. It is proven already that having a poor dental hygiene habits is connected to developing serious disease. This is because the gums are made up of vascular tissues that have a lot of blood vessels which can be an entry point of bacteria going to your circulatory system.

Researchers found that if you have poor habits when it comes to your oral care, this can lead to tartar and plaque buildup which leads to gum disease and tooth decay that often can contribute to increase risks of stroke, heart disease, uncontrolled diabetes, bacterial pneumonia, preterm births and even low immune system. And not only are these physical risks present when you have oral problems, you will likely have a lot risk of suffering coronary artery problems as compared with people who have healthy gums.

That is why it is advised not to take proper oral hygiene habits for granted. It will also help if you have a regular checkup with your dentist to prevent these risks especially for women who have heightened oral risks when pregnant. Fortunately, while these sound scary, all of these are quite easy to prevent.

5 tips for a healthy mouth and body:

1. Brush your teeth properly twice a day, the least, for two minute.  Floss once a day, at a minimum.

2. Try to avoid in between meals to prevent food buildup in your mouth.

3. Have a regular dental checkups and cleanings and have some preventative treatments. As the saying goes, prevention is always preferable than the cure.

4. Know your health history so you will know if you are vulnerable to periodontal disease so you can have a more frequent cleanings and exams to prevent oral and overall physical health problems.

5. Pain or any oral discomfort shouldn’t be the only reason why you go to your dentist. The truth is that periodontitis is a silent lethal disease which pain often occurs at its advance stages which is too late to do anything about.

When you find that you have bleeding or tender gums, pus on the gums, bad breath that doesn’t go away, bitter tastes and finally loose teeth (which is at its advance stages), consult your dentist as soon as possible. It helps to know what is going on with your mouth to prevent larger risks with your overall health.

Here is a great video on gum disease and overall health:

Don’t wait until it’s too late. Since gum disease is a silent disease until it’s too late, most people don’t know they have it unless they visit their dentist and then get diagnosed. So don’t wait, visit your dentist every 6 months and stay healthy both in the mouth and your body.

By: Ladan Zinati