Oral health is vital for overall health. Period. More than 80 percent of Americans, for example, are living with periodontal or gum disease, which often goes undiagnosed.
Researchers have found evidence of two specific links between oral health and heart disease. First, recent studies show that if you have gum disease in a moderate or advanced stage, you’re at greater risk for heart disease than someone with healthy gums. And second, your oral health can provide doctors with warning signs for a range of diseases and conditions, including those in the heart.
Eventually, losing your teeth could signal a higher risk of suffering heart disease and diabetes, warn researchers.
A new study links fewer teeth and bleeding gums with a range of cardiovascular problems, including high blood pressure and high cholesterol.
Experts say getting gum disease treated with a dental check-up every year could cut the risk of developing heart disease.
Previously, researchers found poor dental hygiene and bleeding gums could allow up to 700 different types of bacteria to get into the bloodstream, which increases the risk of a heart attack regardless of how fit and healthy the person is.
Gum disease causes bad breath, bleeding gums and, if untreated, cavities, receding gums and tooth loss after bacteria or plaque settles between teeth and under the gum line.
In the first study of its type, researchers looked at patients with chronic coronary heart disease taking part in a drugs trial and examined their dental health.
At the start of the study, 15,828 study participants from 39 countries reported their remaining number of teeth, classified as: none, 1-14, 15-19, 20-25 or 26-32, and frequency of gum bleeds: never/rarely, sometimes, often or always.
Around 40 percent of patients had fewer than 15 teeth and 16 percent had no teeth, while one in four reported gum bleeds.
It is this bleeding that has been linked to chronic health problems including heart disease, because it causes inflammation into the bloodstream.
So what can you do?
The first key to preventing this connection is to be proactive. Good oral hygiene and regular dental examinations are the best way to protect yourself against the development of gum disease. The American Dental Association (ADA) Mouth Healthy site recommends brushing your teeth twice a day with a soft-bristled brush that fits your mouth comfortably, so it reaches every tooth surface adequately. It also recommends that you use an ADA-accepted toothpaste. One important thing to remember about brushing your teeth is to get to the gum line when brushing your teeth. Not just the tops, but the bottom of the teeth along your gum line.
In addition to that, get your teeth professionally cleaned once a year. We know, it may be an extra cost, but the cost to clean your teeth is far less than the cost of being in the hospital with a heart attack.
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