Mouth and Body Connection

To many people, a dental visit is about getting their teeth cleaned, having a tooth pulled or having a filling placed. However, a dental visit is not just about teeth.  It is also about your overall health. 

What goes on in your mouth can affect the rest of your body, and what goes on in the rest of your body can have an effect on your mouth. Recent research indicates a very strong connection between infections in the mouth and chronic infections in other parts of the body.

Diseases of the gums have a proven effect on the following conditions:

Diabetes:

Patients with diabetes have an already compromised immune system. Thus making them more susceptible to gum disease. Further the presence of gum disease increases the number of bacteria in the blood stream, and causes inflammation. All of this makes sugar control more difficult in a diabetic patient.

Heart Disease:

According to research from the American Heart Association, poor oral health could increase your chances of developing heart disease -- more so than the usual suspects of cholesterol and triglyceride levels.  In fact, the American Academy of Periodontology reports that, periodontitis is the strongest predictor of coronary disease.  Periodontitis, is an infection in the gum tissue around a tooth; gums recede and teeth can loosen as their support weakens.

Pregnancy:

A link between pre term and low birth weight babies has now been established. Mothers with gum diseases have a seven times greater risk of pre term babies.

A regular visit to the dentist can help identify these problems at an early stage. Getting your teeth cleaned professionally every 6 months can go a long way in maintaining a healthy lifestyle. 

For any questions or queries please schedule an appointment with us over the phone on 011 41554777 or online on www.nandadental.com