It is certainly no secret that your gums are an important part of your dental anatomy, offering protection to the most sensitive parts of your teeth while helping to filter out dirt and bacteria on a regular basis. However, fewer people are aware of the impact gums can have on other parts of the body that aren’t in the mouth.

How Gum Health Affects Overall Health

While you may see two different medical professionals for physical health and dental health, that doesn’t mean these two things are completely unrelated. The body is a complex system, and every working part is connected. Today, your trusted periodontist in LA will talk to you about how gum health affects overall health.

The Mouth is the Gateway to the Body

If you think about it, everything that goes into your body, whether it be a nutritious meal or a sugary drink, enters through your mouth. Think of your mouth as a big gate that lets foreign substances in at your whim. When you look at it this way, it is no wonder that oral health is so deeply connected to overall physical health.

Like other parts of the body, leaving your oral health unattended for too long can lead to the spread of infection all throughout. Not only do you put your dental health at risk by ignoring your gums. But you also put yourself on a fast track to deterioration the longer you go without seeking proper care.

What Happens When You Have Unhealthy Gums?

Unhealthy gums can lead to a number of serious illnesses that can become deadly if they reach the bloodstream. Gum disease develops in a series of stages. And the earlier stages prove much easier to treat. However, the more advanced stages can have some devastating effects.

The earliest form of gum disease, gingivitis, is marked by symptoms of inflamed gums and sensitivity when brushing your teeth. If you have some “pink in the sink,” you may want to address your gum health right away. Neglecting treatment could cause the condition to develop into a more serious and permanent form of gum disease known as periodontitis. Periodontitis can lead to widespread infection, decay, and other painful conditions all throughout the body.

Conditions Linked with Gum Disease

Oral bacteria builds up in the mouth after eating foods or other substances. Any particles left behind can get stuck to the teeth and gums, forming tartar and eventually turning into dangerous plaque. This makes it easier for harmful bacteria to grow and spread across the teeth, causing a detriment to the rest of the body.

Without getting treated, serious gum disease can cause infections and decay, which ultimately lead to the development of:

• Cardiovascular disease, which can come from inflammation as dental decay starts to spread to the bloodstream.
• Pneumonia is a respiratory disease that can be worsened by bacteria getting into the lungs.
• Endocarditis is a serious infection of the heart that comes from harmful germs linked to bacteria in the mouth.
• Diabetes can result in a weakened immune system. It contributes to a harmful cycle of poor oral health and poor bodily health.

The longer these conditions are allowed to develop, the more difficult they can be to treat. Preventative dental care can not only keep symptoms of gum disease at bay, but it can also keep symptoms manageable if any conditions do arise.

Seek Personalized Dental Care Today

It is never a good idea to wait for professional care. As soon as you notice symptoms of tooth pain, irritability, or inflammation, seek out your local dental experts right away. You may need a customized periodontal disease treatment plan to reduce some of the severe symptoms of gum disease. But also to prevent the signs of infection from wreaking havoc on the rest of your body. Call us today to set up a much-needed appointment.