Connection between Oral Health and Heart Health

It is a well-known fact that mouth is the gateway to entire body. Your smile may be your impressive feature for the people around you but the health of this smile is even more important for your overall health. This is the major reason that your dentist asks you to bring with you your entire medical history during the first dental visit. They study your medical history to know about your health as they tend to know about the influence of your oral health on systematic health and vice versa.

Oral inflammation and heart health

It may sound strange at first that oral inflammation can lead to heart conditions. It is mainly due to the oral bacteria which find their way into the bloodstream due to inflammation giving them the way. The inclusion of those bacteria into the bloodstream can lead to clot formation in the arteries. This clot formation can lead to the development of Coronary artery disease which is a condition associated with thickening of walls of the coronary arteries due to buildup of fatty proteins. These blood clots can affect the blood flow. This way, the heart doesn’t get oxygen and other necessary nutrients in required amount, leading to the heart attacks.

Prevention

Now that you know that oral health conditions can be dangerous for your heart health, you can maintain your heart health by doing simple things such as maintaining good oral health and hygiene. Make sure that you are brushing and flossing your teeth normally.

If you have the problem of gum inflammation, you need to get your blood tested for C-reactive protein levels. These proteins levels are usually higher in the patients who have heart problem, gum disease or both. Treatment of gum disease can help in controlling the levels of C-reactive protein, thus helping in the prevention of heart conditions.

Some types of oral bacteria have the capability to destroy connective oral tissues. It suggests that such bacteria can do alarming kind of damage to the heart if they enter into the bloodstream. These bacteria start their job by contributing the instability of plaque. Therefore, you need to take care of your oral hygiene and visit your dentist regularly.

You need to know about the connection between your oral and heart health. There are certain studies which suggest that gum disease contribute directly in heart conditions. So, you need to be careful about your dental and periodontal health.