Your Heart and Your Mouth: More Evidence of a Link

If you’ve been diagnosed with gum disease, are you properly addressing it? Daily home hygiene and regular, professional periodontal maintenance can make the difference between good oral health and the possibility of a diseased mouth affecting other issues in the body.

As an example, in a sampling of 76 patients, Japanese researchers recently discovered what they consider a link between severe gum disease (periodontitis) and particular scarring of the heart (atrial fibrosis) which can lead to issues like atrial fibrillation (A-Fib or AF). We report frequently on the relationship between our oral health and our “systemic” health throughout the body. Researchers believe that severe gum disease worsens the heart issues, i.e., the worse the periodontitis, the worse the fibrosis. As always, additional evidence is needed to study this relationship.

Here’s the good news: Gum disease is normally a treatable risk factor when it comes to its relationship to heart or other systemic diseases.

Address Gum Disease NOW!

In its earliest stage (gingivitis), gum disease may be reversible with proper professional treatment. Routine scheduling of deep cleaning procedures (different than a regular dental cleaning) called scaling and root planing treat infected and damaged tissue. Antibiotics may be employed. The goal is to provide under-the-gum deeper cleaning, different than a regular dental office would provide, and eliminate bacteria.

That’s the good news. Once the disease seriously progresses (periodontitis), plaque can cause your gums to pull away from your teeth, leading to shifting or even loose or lost teeth. At this point, we can still treat the disease but it’s not reversible. We’ll keep your gum disease from worsening, with restorative treatments including our FDA-approved LANAP® laser treatment which can target damaging inflammation without surgery, scalpels or sutures.

If you or someone you love has gum disease, or if you suspect gum disease (bleeding, swollen gums, sensitive teeth, painful chewing and even bad breath are some possible warning signs), make an appointment for a consultation so we can help start you off on a healthier, new path. Referrals are not necessary.