According to the CDC, one out of every four deaths in the U.S. are due to cardiovascular problems like heart attack or stroke. Because heart disease is so prevalent, it’s important to learn all you can about keeping it at bay. February is American Heart Month, making now the perfect time to learn about safeguarding your health. One way to do so is by preventing gum disease, which greatly increases your risk of heart disease. Let’s talk about the link between gum disease and heart disease – and how you can keep your heart healthy by caring for your smile.
What Is Gum Disease?
Also known as periodontal disease, gum disease develops when an overabundance of bacteria in the mouth infects and inflames the gum tissue. In the early stages, you might not even notice you have gum disease; it only presents mild symptoms like swelling gums or bleeding when brushing or flossing. However, if left untreated, it could progress to the point where bacteria irreversibly damage your teeth’s supportive structures. It may even lead to tooth loss!
How Gum Disease Is Connected to Heart Health
The health problems caused by gum disease don’t just stop at your mouth. When your gums are infected, the toxins produced by oral bacteria can more easily enter your bloodstream. They can then access the bloodstream and cause inflammation in other areas of the body – including the heart.
Furthermore, multiple studies have linked gum disease with a higher risk of life-altering cardiovascular events like heart attack and stroke. It’s not entirely clear whether gum disease directly causes heart disease; after all, the two conditions share many risk factors. That said, taking care of your smile seems to significantly reduce your risk of developing heart problems.
How to Keep Your Smile – and Your Heart – Healthy
Gum disease is largely preventable if you take the right precautions, most of which are simple things you should ideally already be doing. Flossing every night and brushing your teeth twice a day for two minutes each time can go a long way toward preventing gum infections. Also, make sure to see your dentist for a checkup and cleaning at least twice a year. These appointments allow your dentist to diagnose and treat gum disease early on.
It may not seem like it at first, but the health of your mouth has a very real effect on the rest of your body. If you notice any unusual problems in your mouth, alert your dentist right away. Doing so could minimize your risk of heart problems – as well as maintain your beautiful smile!
About the Author
Dr. Wendy Winarick has been a practicing dentist in Waco, TX for nearly 20 years. She offers multiple methods of gum disease treatment, including antibiotic therapy, scaling and root planing, and suture-free laser dentistry. You can learn more about preventing gum disease via her website.