Take Care of Your Teeth & Gums to Avoid Heart Disease

You may know that watching your diet and exercising regularly help keep your heart healthy. But if you’re like most people, you may be less aware that taking good care of your teeth and gums can also help you avoid heart disease.

This video from the British Heart Foundation explains how gum disease can cause problems for your heart. The same dental bacteria that cause gum disease can get into your bloodstream. From there, they can travel to the heart. Inflammation is the result as your body tries to fight infection. This can damage blood vessels, leading to or worsening coronary heart disease. These nasty bacteria are also a known cause of endocarditis, a potentially fatal infection of the heart’s inner lining. 

Fortunately, gum disease is fairly easy to prevent with good oral hygiene. Brush twice a day for at least two minutes each time, and floss daily. See your Crown Point, IN dental team for dental cleanings and exams every six months. Even with these preventive measures, it’s possible to get gum disease. The important thing is to prevent it from advancing from the early stage to later and more serious stages where your overall health can suffer. 

At Van Buskirk & Krischke, we offer several ways to reverse gum disease, including a deep-cleaning procedure called scaling and root planing, a time-released topical antibiotic, and laser gum therapy. 

If you are susceptible to gum disease, you may benefit by joining our membership plan. You simply pay a low monthly fee that covers the cost of preventive care including cleanings and exams and offers savings on other services. There is a special option for periodontal maintenance.

If you are showing signs of gum disease, call us ASAP at 219-641-3422. Common symptoms include tender red gums, bleeding when you brush your teeth or floss, and chronic bad breath.