Gum Disease- Heart Disease and Stroke
Gum disease affects more than the gums and the teeth. Research has shown that gum disease and heart disease are highly correlated. Gum disease is a contributing factor to heart disease, heart attacks, and stroke. That means that when you have gum disease you are at increased risk for developing heart disease.
Since gum disease is an infection of the gums, the immune system spends its resources trying to fight it. This extra strain on the immune system makes you more susceptible to other ailments and diseases since your body’s defense mechanism is not as strong.
Furthermore, when someone develops heart disease they are given certain medications and health regimens to follow to keep their heart disease under control. One of these health protocols is to keep the gums free of gum disease! And if the patient is still unable to keep their gums healthy, they put themselves at increased risk of dying from their heart disease. And that’s because gum disease adds an extra workload for the body’s immune system.
Gum Disease – Diabetes – Tooth Loss
Gum disease increases the risk for heart disease. Gum disease has also been strongly linked to diabetes. A diabetic patient has a weakened immune system and is more prone to severe periodontal infections. This causes the disease to progress much more rapidly. Patients with diabetes and periodontal disease end up losing most of their teeth over time.
Gum Diseases – Pregnancy Complications
Pregnant women with untreated gum disease are more likely to develop complications with their pregnancy such as premature births and low birth weight. Oftentimes the micro-organisms responsible for gum disease are circulating in the blood and cross into the unborn baby’s blood system as well. This means the baby is born with the bacteria responsible for gum disease. Babies born before full term have a higher incidence of brain injury, hearing, and eyesight problems.
Don’t wait ’til it’s too late. Take control of your health. Contact us now for your appointment.