Gum disease could affect your general health. Learn more here about what are the most important health issues that can be caused by gum disease.
If food particles and bacteria stay on your teeth and form dental plaque, the gummy substance is stuck on your tooth. If you don't take care to remove the plaque using regular brushing, flossing, and cleaning your teeth, it could cause damage to your gums and lead to gum disease. Failure to take good care of your gums could increase the risk of developing gum disease. When not addressed, gum disease could increase the chance of losing teeth, affecting dental function and appearance. Along with causing tooth damage, increasing research suggests that gum disease can be linked with a variety of serious health issues which can impact general health.
Respiratory Conditions
If you have gum problems, you might be more susceptible to respiratory illnesses. Gum disease is a major cause of the growth of bacteria in your mouth. If this occurs, it increases the likelihood that bacteria can enter the respiratory tract of your throat's upper part. If you suffer from a respiratory illness such as COPD (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disorder) and asthma, your gums' condition could worsen. This is because gum disease can cause inflammation of the airways. The inflammation in the respiratory system can cause respiratory problems and even damage your lungs.
Diabetes
If you suffer from high levels of diabetes, that increases the chance of developing gum diseases. Diabetes can increase the amount of sugar in your saliva, which allows plaque and harmful bacteria to develop. If diabetes is not controlled, higher blood sugar levels could cause gum disease to get worse faster. It also affects the white blood cells that typically defend your mouth from the threat of infection. If you can control your blood sugar levels, it could reduce your chances of having poor gums. In addition, gum disease could make maintaining normal blood sugar levels harder. This could lead to diabetes even if you aren't already suffering. In addition, it could make it more difficult to manage diabetes after you've been diagnosed with it.
Cardiovascular Disease
It has been observed that those who suffer from gum disease have higher levels of cardiovascular disease. Gum disease makes it more difficult for bacteria to enter the bloodstream. If this happens and plaques form, it creates within your blood vessels. When plaques in the blood vessel are formed, it can increase the chance of developing blood clots. Blocking the flow of blood to your heart could lead to heart attacks. You can also suffer strokes when the blood clot stops blood flow to the brain. One theory states that gum disease is linked due to inflammation. This is the immune system's response to gum infections. When your immune system fights gum infections, it also causes damage to tissues and organs in your heart, exposing them to diseases.
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Cancer
If you suffer from gum disease, you have more chance of contracting certain kinds of cancer. A long-term study found that people with advanced gum disease were at an increase of 23% in developing cancer compared to those with healthy gums. The research found that the highest risk is linked to lung cancer. Gum disease sufferers were more than twice as likely to develop the risk of getting lung cancer than those who had an easier type of gum disease or with no gum disease. Additionally, research showed that people suffering from gum disease were more likely to be diagnosed with colorectal cancer than those with healthy gums.
If you require help maintaining healthy gums to avoid gum disease or teeth cleaning, contact your dentist now and make an appointment to have a dental consult.
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