How your oral health can affect your overall health

Poor oral health can lead to gingivitis, tooth loss and a lot of pain and inconvenience – but, worse than that, poor oral health can also lead to a multitude of other health issues that you might not even be aware of. Gum disease isn’t just bad news for your smile, it is also linked to serious problems in other parts of your body. In varying degrees, recent studies have found that gum disease may increase your risk of:

• Heart disease
• Strokes
• Diabetes
• Giving birth to a premature or low-birth-weight baby
• Respiratory disease

What affect can gum disease have on my health?

Gum disease isn’t something that happens overnight, but is an infection of the tissues that support the teeth, caused by a build-up of bacteria over an extended period of time. Studies have suggested that people suffering from gum disease are almost twice as likely to suffer from heart disease as people without it – and it is thought that this is due to bacteria from the mouth making its way into the bloodstream. Protein, produced by this bacteria, can cause the platelets in the blood to stick together as they move through the vessels of the heart, making clots more likely to form and slowing down blood flow, making it more difficult for nutrients and oxygen to get to the heart. This, if left untreated, can increase a person’s risk of stroke or heart attack.

Similarly, recent studies have shown that, compared to people with healthy gums, people who suffer from gum disease tend to have higher long-term blood sugar levels, and therefore may be at higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes.

My dentist failed to diagnose gum disease

If you’re suffering from any sort of pain or inflammation of your gums, it’s important that you visit your dentist for a check-up as quickly as possible. However, if you have already visited your dentist and you’re concerned that they have failed to spot an issue regarding gum disease, or that your dentist may have contributed to ongoing oral health issues through misdiagnosis, poor treatment or negligence, you may be entitled to compensation.

At the Dental Law Partnership, our team of expert Dental Negligence solicitors are on hand to help you at every step of the way; call us today on 0808 278 8202.

Sources:

https://www.dentistryiq.com/articles/2017/02/the-surprising-link-between-periodontal-disease-and-heart-health-what-dental-professionals-need-to-know.html

https://www.ada.org/~/media/ADA/Publications/Files/FTDP_July2013_2.pdf?la=en