Gum Disease Can Impact Your Overall Health and Wellness!

So, what is the big deal about gum disease?  Do you know that over 90% of people have some sort of gum disease – from simple gingivitis to advanced periodontitis? You probably floss, you brush, and you think all is well. But are you quite sure you are not in that 90% group? How do you know?

You probably recognize the local effects of gingivitis or periodontitis such as bleeding gums, puffy gum tissue, bad breath, recession and sensitivity around the gumline, spaces developing between your teeth, loose teeth, and buildup of plaque and calculus – to name just a few. Most of the time, there is no pain and is easy to ignore. But did you know that there is probably something going on elsewhere in your body?

Gum disease and Heart Health

Did you know that the same dental plaque that hardens on your teeth (called tartar or calculus), that the dentist or hygienist scrapes off during a cleaning, is actually a collection of excess calcium and bacteria circulating within the whole body? This makes you susceptible to a host of health issues!

Gum disease can reflect of what may be going on elsewhere in your body. Inflammation from bacteria found in gum disease is a risk for heart disease, such as heart attack and stroke. You really need to know what to do. Gingivitis and Periodontitis may seem to be localized inflammation in the mouth but consider that there are most likely systemic problems as well

Oral Health as a Mirror

So, where does this excess calcium come from? Most of the time, calcium leaches out of bones in response to trying to keep blood from becoming acidic, which can happen as a result of too much sugar and an inflammatory diet, toxic exposures and other factors. The excess calcium finds its way to deposit on teeth as calculus, in arteries as plaques, in cataracts, arthritic joints and even certain cancers.  The bacteria that reside in the plaque, particularly under the gum can get into the bloodstream and cause great harm, just from cleaning your teeth if precautions aren’t taken.

Holistic Dental Health Tip

Make sure you follow up with your routine maintenance and go through with doctor recommendations. If you see a physician, be sure to tell your practitioner about your gum health and dental procedures. It will most likely not be addressed in your health history, but your oral health is just as important as any other area of the body. Consider getting other opinions if you feel that treatment seems to be too extensive or doesn’t make sense to you. Many conditions can be treated non surgically.

Special attention to gums should be addressed with orthodontic braces, dental work, pregnancy, diabetes mellitus, obesity, medications, radiation therapy, mouth breathing, and a compromised immune system.  So, are you getting the picture? Gum disease is one of the most common visible infections we know of.  Recognize it as a mirror to your health and wellness and get it under control.

Click on the video below to learn more about gum disease and your health!