This blog post is part of a series of Total Health Dental Care articles to inform our readers about the connection between your oral health and your overall health.
It’s called the “Mouth-Body Connection,” and it means that poor dental health can severely deteriorate your body, especially your lungs and heart, and it can also lead to a host of other conditions including Alzheimer’s disease and even some Cancers.
Gum Disease – The Silent Epidemic
The number one cause of death is inflammation.
The number one cause of inflammation is gum disease.
The startling news is that 80% of people have Gum Disease and DO NOT KNOW IT! There is usually no pain involved for people until extremely late in the degeneration. Many gum problems will go unnoticed until they are diagnosed by a dentist.
So, how is heart disease related to your mouth?
Several studies exist to explain the link between gum disease and heart disease.
- Oral bacteria can affect the heart via the blood stream and then attaching to fatty plaques in the coronary arteries (heart blood vessels) and contributing to clot formation.
- As the body fights the inflammation caused by periodontal (gum) disease, swelling of the arteries can occur which contributes to their deterioration.
Researchers have found that people with periodontal disease are almost twice as likely to suffer from coronary artery disease.
Medications for Heart Disease and Dry Mouth
If you take any medication for dry mouth including blood pressure medications and diuretics, you have probably experienced a common side effect of these popular medications: Dry Mouth.
The combination of two or more of these medications dramatically increase dry-mouth effects.
Dry mouth is a growing problem in dentistry. On a daily basis, Dr. Korenman and his staff see patients who suffer from dry mouth and the issues associated with dry mouth including tooth decay, gum disease and mouth sores.
The Good News for Heart Patients
The good news is that Dr. Korenman and his team are dedicated to educating the public about the dangers of gum disease and they check all their patients for it.
If you are diagnosed with gum disease, Dr. Korenman can design a treatment plan to help you overcome it and then to keep it under control.
Additionally, if you suffer from Dry Mouth, Dr. Korenman provides the following tips for treating this dangerous condition:
- He highly recommends Effervess Oral Care products, which can help relieve the symptoms of dry mouth caused by medications. (Available at Loveable Smiles and Amazon.) The line includes toothpaste and a whitening gel.
- Swish with water in addition to drinking it.
- Chew sugarless gum.
- Patients with dry mouth should have regular dental checkups with Dr. Korenman and his staff for evaluation and treatment. Please bring up-to-date medication list with you to your appointment at Loveable Smiles.
We urge you to call Loveable Smiles for your Total Health Dental Care appointment at 972-231-0585.
This is just one of many examples of how we treat people, not just teeth.