A Heartful Message About Gum Disease

In a Harvard Health Letter, Dr. Tien Jiang provides the same kind of warning our doctors here at South Florida Center for Periodontics & Implant Dentistry have been telling our patients for years, that the mouth is considered the gateway to the body. It shouldn’t be a surprise that oral health can affect your overall health and vice versa.

One of the many links we’ve discussed in this blog is between gum (periodontal) disease and heart disease.

“In both gum disease and heart disease, we find bacteria in places where they’re not supposed to be, “comments Dr. Jiang in the article. “The body’s immune response to these misplaced bacteria triggers an outpouring of white blood cells. The resulting inflammation may lead to tiny clots and can cause heart attack or stroke.”

While the exact cause and effect relationship is still not totally clear, researchers believe that the bacteria in your mouth travels to other parts of the body and, in the case of heart disease, triggers inflammation in the heart’s vessels and valves.

Gum Disease Can Progress When Not Addressed

When patients don’t visit a dental professional for regular cleaning, hard, calcified deposits can form causing gingivitis, the earliest stage of gum disease, where gums bleed easily. When not addressed, gingivitis can turn into periodontal disease which ultimately will cause teeth to loosen and even fall out.

Treating Gum Disease

Our practice provides today’s latest and very effective surgical and non-surgical treatments. We also offer LANAP® laser periodontal treatment, regenerative endoscopic procedure (REP) and more to fight gum disease.

Follow your heart and make an appointment with one of our dental specialists today to address gum disease-related issues. It’s a decision you and your body won’t regret. Cross our hearts!