{"id":160,"date":"2022-02-15T16:38:00","date_gmt":"2022-02-15T16:38:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.moultondentistry.com\/blog\/?p=160"},"modified":"2024-09-12T13:15:33","modified_gmt":"2024-09-12T13:15:33","slug":"gum-disease-how-it-can-harm-your-heart-and-ways-to-prevent-it","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.moultondentistry.com\/blog\/2022\/02\/15\/gum-disease-how-it-can-harm-your-heart-and-ways-to-prevent-it\/","title":{"rendered":"How Gum Disease Can Harm Your Heart"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Gum disease is an infection of the gums that affects over 47% of people over age 30 and over 70% of people over age 65. Gingivitis, which is the first stage of gum disease<\/a>, is easy to treat if it\u2019s caught early on. If it progresses into periodontitis, which is a much more serious infection, this can lead to gum recession, jawbone erosion, loose teeth, tooth loss, and health issues in other parts of the body. Read on to learn how not taking good care of your smile can result in issues with your cardiovascular system as well as how to prevent gum disease.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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How Gum Disease Affects Your Heart<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Also called periodontal disease, gum disease is often the result of poor oral hygiene. People who smoke, experience hormonal changes (especially during pregnancy), take certain medications, or have a family history of gum disease are also more likely to develop it. Periodontal disease is characterized by tender or red gums, inflammation, and bleeding when you brush or floss.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Though inflammation can help your body heal wounds short term, chronic swelling can result in a range of dangerous health conditions, including atherosclerosis. Also called atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease, this causes the veins to thicken or harden and may result in a stroke or heart attack. Gum disease on its own also raises your chances of experiencing a heart attack, stroke, or another serious cardiovascular event by up to three times.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

5 Ways to Prevent Gum Disease<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Along with brushing and flossing, there are several other ways that you can lower your risk of developing gum disease, including:<\/p>\n\n\n\n