Gums and General Well-being

Gum diseases are one of the most common dental diseases. With the increasing number of health ailments, the risks associated with every disease is also increasing. Gum diseases usually affect the patients who have poor oral hygiene, stress and hereditary occurrence of the diseases. Many a times, patients are affected by the congenital factors which lead to the occurrence of the diseases after birth.

Some of the commonly discussed heart diseases with the gum diseases are the heart attacks. Coronary artery disease has been found to occur in patients who possess oral problems especially the gum problems more than that of an individual who has normal oral health.

Many of the researchers have mentioned that it is important to control the gum diseases so that the chances of the occurrence of heart diseases can be reduced. Presence of the gum problems like gingivitis which is quite common in the developing countries along with the presence of cavities and missing teeth can help in the detection of a heart disease in the patient. These oral diseases can be compared to the cholesterol levels of the patient when considering the factors which indicate the presence of a heart disease in the patient.

Very few people actually think that gum diseases can be a major factor in causing heart diseases. So it’s important to increase the awareness of the connection of gum diseases and heart diseases. The bacteria which cause gum diseases usually enter through the mouth. They find their way into the arteries through the gums. These bacteria cause blockages in the arteries which lead to arteriosclerosis if not handled on time.

Our immune system plays a very important role in protecting the body from the occurring of any disease. If the immune system is not strong enough, then the bacteria can easily enter and affect the body by entering and causing infection. Infection is first of all symptomised by inflammation and swelling. This inflammatory response is responsible for the occurrence of the many heart diseases.

Gum diseases have been found to be a great boon in diagnosing the heart diseases in their early stages. Many of the conditions associated with heart diseases usually don’t show any symptoms.

For instance, a person cannot know on his own that his blood pressure or cholesterol levels are rising. But when there is bleeding of gums or pain in the gums one can understand that something is wrong. Still it’s not necessary that these oral conditions have to be early signs of heart diseases, so proper oral check-up on time can even save precious lives.

If proper care and treatment is done on detection of a gum disease the bacteria can be eliminated or ceased to cause further harm to the gums. This will prevent them from causing any medical complications in the body. So, it’s important to take care of the oral health so as to keep body free from any heart ailments and live a healthy life.

About the Author  

Dr. Runuk Bhandari
SRV Dental Wellness Clinic
Goregaon West