Red Swollen Gums? Protect Your Heart

It's late at night, it's time for your nightly hygiene routine and you are just too tired to pick up that little mint flavored piece of thread and clean your gums. All it takes is a few minutes a day, but it often is last on our daily to-do list or neglected all together. However, you may be more inclined to work that floss if you knew how the lack of using it could possibly negatively affect your heart. Studies are showing now that poor dental care often leads to swollen red gums, known as periodontal disease. The scary find is that there is now a link between this mouth disease and heart disease. Yes, you heard me right, the muscle that affects your being dead or alive, is tied to your gums.

What is Periodontal Disease?

We go to the dentist, hopefully every six months for our checkup and routine cleaning. We are told that our gums are red, swollen, and they feel sensitive. Well, this disease of the gums is caused by plaque that has been not been removed from the teeth through proper oral hygiene. This build up of plaque causes the gums to become infected and swollen. Of course, we have heard of gingivitis, which is just the precursor to periodontal disease. Bacteria attack your teeth and bone, and if left, will lead to large pockets underneath the gums. This bacterium fills these pockets which grow larger and slowly reaches the bloodstream and ultimately affects blood vessels, by causing them to become narrow and restricted.

Predictors of Heart Disease

According to a study from the medical journal, Circulation, pericoronitis which is inflammation in the gums surrounding the molars, is the greatest dental indicator of heart disease among patients. The second predictor of heart disease is tooth decay. This is where only the tip of the tooth root remains. The third predictor is something that we hear and see advertised on commercials daily, gingivitis. Gingivitis precedes pericoronitis, unless taken care of with proper hygiene.