The Heart and Good Oral Health The perfect love match for Valentines

The perfect love match  for Valentines . Why proper Oral Hygiene benefits and protects your Heart…. just like high school sweethearts 🥰 lol.

Oral health and heart health have been linked for over a century.

In the last few decades it has been proven that poor oral hygiene puts you at serious risk for heart disease.

Gum disease in a moderate or advanced stage, can lead to heart attacks, stroke and other serious cardiovascular problems . A thorough oral examination can provide dentists with a few advanced warning signs for a range of other diseases and conditions. The mouth is the portal to the rest of the body . If it’s not healthy, the rest of your body isn’t either.

Let’s review some facts:

Two factors behind the reason that gum disease is linked to heart disease are…

  1. There is a link between the two diseases and it is due to the same bacteria. During normal chewing or brushing, bacteria can enter the bloodstream and move to other parts of the circulatory system, contributing to cardiovascular disease.
  2. Bacteria that causes gum disease can enter the bloodstream whenever your gums bleed. If you’re gums are unhealthy that can even be from brushing . That type of bacteria is thought to promote fatty plaques that can get into the arteries around your heart, causing an environment for heart disease. When these bacteria reach the heart, they attach themselves to any damages area and cause inflammation.

What are some other conditions also linked to oral health?

  • Diabetes: Uncontrolled Diabetics, whose blood sugar levels are high are more prone to gum disease, and mouth sores. Regular periodontal care can improve diabetic oral complications through scaling and root planing, ie hygiene visits with the hygienist and more frequent recall visits. Diabetics have poor wound healing, and any dental condition needs to be treated quickly and monitored avidly. I especially love my Diabetic patients (I have a loved one whose diabetic in my family ) and you guys are too sweet to lose any teeth or have pain. Come in more frequently please.
  • Endocarditis: Endocarditis is an infection of the inner lining of your heart and typically occurs when bacteria or other germs from your mouth spread through your bloodstream and attach to damaged areas in your heart.
  • Autoimmune diseases: Oral problems like painful mucosal lesions are common in people who have an autoimmune disease. We can treat those with simple and pain-free laser procedures.
  • Other Conditions:  Other conditions that may be linked to oral heath are eating disorders like bulimia and anorexia, rheumatoid arthritis, osteoporosis, head and neck cancers, and Sjogren’s syndrome, an immune system disorder that causes dry mouth.

 

Maintening Good Oral Health

Includes:

  • Brush teeth twice a day with a fluoride toothpaste
  • Clean in between teeth daily with floss, waterpik, or a proxy brush .
  • Eat a balanced diet and limit in between-meal snacks, especially sweets.
  • Visit your dentist regularly for oral examinations and professional cleanings.

Being proactive about your oral health means you can protect yourself from developing a connection between oral health and heart disease, and keeps your smile healthy, clean and beautiful throughout your life.

Happy Valentines Day 💕 everyone .