Every year on September 29th, World Heart Day is celebrated to bring awareness to cardiovascular health and the ways in which your heart can be impacted. Cardiovascular disease causes over 17 million deaths each year, and is the leading cause of death around the globe. To honor World Heart Day this September, getting your oral health examined and evaluated for possible periodontal disease can help you fight back against heart disease. Since our mouth is directly connected to the systemic health of the rest of our body, addressing diseases of the mouth can help protect your heart directly.
How Oral Health is Linked to Heart Health
Many doctors consider the mouth the gateway to the rest of the body. This is true not only for food and nourishment, but for our overall health as well. A mouth that is afflicted with disease or infection can easily spread that disease or infection to other parts of the body—the heart being one of them. Research has linked periodontal disease, an infection of the soft tissues of the mouth, to being a potential cause of heart disease. The bacteria and infection from the gums can travel through the bloodstream and directly to the heart. By keeping oral health in ideal conditions and treating gum disease early, you will also be keeping your heart healthy.
What is Gum Disease?
Gum disease, also called periodontal disease, is a common condition that affects over 75% of Americans to some degree. This condition targets the soft tissues of the mouth, particularly the gums, but also impacts other oral structures as well, including the jaw bone and teeth. Without treatment, the infection from gum disease can spread throughout the body as well as severely compromise oral health. Many patients end up suffering from tooth loss, bone deterioration, gum recession, and more, including systemic health concerns. Other systemic conditions that have been linked to gum disease include:
- Heart disease
- Stroke
- Diabetes
- Dementia
- Pregnancy complications
Improve Oral and Heart Health with Treatment
Luckily, gum disease can be treated if identified early, which will prevent the impact this condition can have on your heart. By being evaluated by your dentist, gum disease can be diagnosed when it is still in its earliest stages. If caught early, treatment can be provided that can remove or maintain the disease and prevent it from affecting your mouth or heart.
Get Evaluated for Gum Disease Today
Help honor World Heart Day by getting checked for gum disease now! Reach out to your local dentist, Dr. Alexander Volchonok, in our office in New York, NY and set up a consultation.
