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.

Oral Health Concerns for Seniors

One thing to be kept in mind is that you need to take care of your teeth no matter what age group you belong to. Oral health requirements change with the age. With aging, oral health gets affected as well. This is the reason that there is too much of a concern about how seniors can take care of their oral health. With good oral health, seniors can ensure their better overall health as well.

There are a few seniors’ oral health issues to be discussed in this regard.

Cavities

Aging results in the gums being pulled back from the teeth. This pulling back of gums results in exposure of the tooth’s area which doesn’t have much of enamel cover. At certain point, there is no enamel at all. Exposure of this area can lead to the development of tooth decay and cavities. This problem gets worse with the existence of cavities.

Decay around the edges of the fillings is also another concern for the older people. This is usually due to the lack of fluoride supply to the teeth.

Dry mouth

Another huge oral health concern for the seniors is dry mouth. The matter of fact is that mouth dryness is not just an oral health issue. It is a problem which affects the quality of life. With reduced saliva in the mouth, a person just finds it very difficult to have the food particles washed away from the mouth. Moreover, mouth dryness can also result in the prevalence of bad bacteria which can then cause cavities and other issues related to teeth and gums.

The best solution here is to make sure that your mouth is moist. You will need to increase your water intake to keep the saliva regulated in your mouth. You can also seek treatments to stimulate the production of saliva in the mouth. Moreover, you are going to have to avoid foods and beverages that can cause mouth dryness. Mouth dryness can be a side effect of an oral or overall health condition. Therefore, you need to get in touch with your dentist or health physician to seek proper treatment for the issue.

Tooth loss

Another oral health issue with the aged people is tooth loss. According to a survey, the adults over the age of 65 lose 13 of their 32 teeth on average. Nevertheless, it’s a good news that you can always avoid tooth loss by taking care of your dental health at home and visiting your dentist regularly.