Which Body System Is Affected by Gum Disease?

Earlier physicians treating suspected cardiac conditions would never refer patients to any other specialists than cardiologists. The rules applied to all patients that reported any medical condition. Fortunately, dramatic changes have been observed in the past decade, and people are showing interest in the coordination between the health of the body and the mouth.

Gum disease affecting your oral health is a concerning condition, and preventing it can keep your mouth and body healthy. Gum disease is a chronic condition stemming from poor oral hygiene, such as avoiding brushing and flossing besides not getting six-monthly dental exams and cleanings. It’s challenging to imagine infected gums in your mouth can have a dramatic impact on different parts of your body, including your heart, lungs, bones, blood sugar levels, and fetal development. In addition, the bacteria from your gums can impact your body in different ways.

Can Gum Disease Weaken Your Immune System?

Yes, gum disease indeed weakens the inflammatory response of the body to trigger various inflammatory diseases such as heart disease, diabetes, swelling in the arteries, and kidney failure.

Besides weakening your immune system, the bacteria from gum disease also enters your bloodstream through your gums to travel to other parts of your body. As the bacteria travel, they can contribute to secondary diseases and infections or support any conditions already progressing in the body.

Can Gum Disease Make You Tired?

The answer to the question above is again a resounding yes. Gum disease affects your respiratory system. The bacteria from gum disease adhere to your saliva, which you inhale. In reality, gum disease causes you to breathe in the bacteria every time you inhale, causing pulmonary infections and respiratory problems.

Respiratory problems, besides causing issues with breathing, undoubtedly make you tired over time, leaving you incapable of performing everyday activities with ease.

Your blood sugar also increases to make diabetes challenging to control. Therefore if you neglect proper oral hygiene and never visit the dentist near me for cleanings or exams, rest assured you will soon confront the problems of gum disease.

Steps To Control or Avoid Gum Disease

Gum disease is an entirely preventable condition arising merely because you don’t brush and floss as your dentist suggests to allow plaque buildup on your teeth and below the gum line. When detected early during routine dental exams, gum disease is not merely preventable but also reversible if you have mild infections.

When you neglect to visit your dentist for exams and cleanings, you invite trouble onto yourself by thinking six-monthly visits to the dentist aren’t necessary. You think you have excellent dental hygiene practices, work out every day, and visit your physical health provider regularly. Unfortunately, if you neglect your oral health, you are inadvertently shooting yourself in the foot and inviting unnecessary problems that take a long time to heal. If you wish to maintain a healthy lifestyle, you must include dental visits frequently to prevent gum disease from sabotaging your efforts to keep your health in optimal condition.

When you visit your dentist every six months, they evaluate your mouth, checking for signs of tooth decay gum disease. When your dentist notices plaque and tartar buildup on your teeth and below the gum line, it indicates you already have a mild form of gum disease needing prompt treatment. Gum disease and inflammation are synonymous, and the symptoms are comfortable to notice even when you brush and floss your teeth. However, if you have advanced gum disease, the inflammation aggravates to cause discomfort when eating or chewing.

Receiving gum disease treatment shouldn’t scare you because it merely involves visits to dentists every six months to receive a deep cleaning to eliminate plaque and tartar buildup from your teeth and below the gum line. You also receive recommendations from the dentist to change your oral hygiene practices and use antibacterial mouthwash besides brushing and flossing without exceptions. If you follow your dentist’s advice, you can comfortably overcome gum disease in its initial stages. Unfortunately, if you let the condition progress, you fall prey to the problems described in this article and make yourself a visitor to your dentist more frequently than six months. Advanced gum disease needs regular monitoring and treatment that will cost you a lot more than controlling the infection in its early stages by maintaining your oral health in excellent condition.

If you or a family member is affected by the symptoms of gum disease, do not waste time when seeking treatment but schedule an appointment with Alexander Family Dental to receive the treatment needed as soon as possible.