Gum Disease and Your Overall Health: Is There a Connection?

Gum disease, also known as periodontal disease, has negative consequences on the health of your teeth. What many doctors are beginning to realize is that there is more to gum disease than originally meets the eye.

You see, gum disease has a major link to another serious health problem. The health problem we’re talking about is heart disease. As you know, heart disease is currently the number one killer in the United States of America. And it’s starting to become the dominant killer of men and women all around the world besides those living in third world countries.

How is there a connection between gum disease and heart disease? We will attempt to answer this question below, and share the many insights that we have learned while researching this topic. It should be interesting to you to say the least, and this is especially true if heart disease happens to run in your family.

The Connection between Heart Disease and Gum Disease

Many people wonder if a healthy mouth equals a healthy heart. According to many doctors, the overall conclusion is that yes, when you keep your mouth in good health you will also keep your heart in good health.

As you are about to learn, there are two specific types of inflammation related diseases. They both could point to a potential negative impact on the heart, but one might be more significant than the other, according to doctors and dentists throughout the world.

Inflammation and Its Role in Heart Disease

Individuals are at much greater risk for heart disease if they experience the two main types of inflammation in their mouth.

The first is gingivitis. When you suffer from gingivitis, you will experience red and painful gums that are very tender. This pain is often difficult to live with, but even more importantly, it’s one of the signs that you could potentially be suffering from heart disease and maybe not even know it.

The second type of inflammation is periodontitis. This one is even more insidious as far as its link to heart disease is concerned. You see, periodontitis occurs when pockets of germy pus become infected in the gums. When this happens, bacteria and other toxins have the ability to spread lower than the gum line.

Ultimately, periodontitis can pose serious health risks when left untreated. Since our mouths are vascular, and they also contain bacteria, when the gum layer is even slightly disrupted the bacteria and toxins could potentially create inflammation all throughout the body as it spreads within the bloodstream.

According to studies, the bacteria often found in periodontal disease can play a major role in strokes. This bacterium can have a negative impact because it could enter the bloodstream and find its way toward the heart. When this happens, the person will find themselves at much greater risk for a stroke.

All in all, gum disease absolutely has an impact on your overall health. Take care of your teeth and gums to prevent heart attacks, heart disease and strokes from occurring unexpectedly.

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