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Taking your oral health seriously and preventing gum disease may be the key to your overall health.
What is gum disease? Gum disease is a chronic infection that typically stems from poor oral hygiene (i.e., not brushing or flossing regularly, skipping dental visits, etc.). It’s hard to imagine that an infection in your gums can have such a dramatic impact on vital organs like your heart, lungs, bones, and blood sugar levels (diabetes II), but it does.
Bacteria from your gums can affect your body in four ways:
Your Circulatory System – bacteria can enter the bloodstream through the gums and travel to other parts of the body. As it travels, it can cause secondary infections or contribute to diseases already in progress.
Your Immune System – the body’s inflammatory response to gum disease can trigger other inflammatory diseases (heart disease, diabetes, kidney failure) and cause hardening of the arteries.
Your Respiratory System – the bacteria from gum disease adhere to saliva droplets that you inhale. You can actually breathe in the bacteria every time you inhale. This can cause pulmonary infections and respiratory problems.
Your Blood Sugar – gum disease increases blood-sugar levels and makes diabetes harder to control. Really? Watch this video
You can eat right, work out every day, and visit your doctor regularly, but if you neglect your oral health, you’re essentially shooting yourself in the foot. Visit Diana Fat, DDS, regularly and prevent gum disease from sabotaging your efforts to maintain a healthy lifestyle. Together, you, your dentist, and your physician can help prevent systemic illnesses from spiraling out of control.