Your mouth is the beginning of your digestive system, one of the most essential systems in your body. As such, it has a profound influence over the health of not only the other parts of your digestive systems but also your body’s other systems, including the cardiovascular system. At the cosmetic and Restorative Dentistry Practice Of Dr. Jay Ajmo, we continually stress to our patients the important role that oral health plays in a person’s whole body health. It could easily be said without exaggeration that as one’s oral health goes, so one’s overall health goes.
In recent years, researchers have become acutely aware of a particular connection between dental health and heart health. We understand better than ever that dental care is necessary not only to the maintenance of a beautiful smile and healthy gums. Keeping your mouth healthy is a vital factor in keeping your heart healthy. If you are looking for a dentist to whom you can entrust both your dental care and your heart health, Palm Beach Gardens dentist Jay Ajmo would welcome the opportunity to demonstrate why he is the right choice for you.
How does your oral health affect your heart health?
The link between your oral health and your heart health has been suspected for decades. However, recent studies have given definitive proof of this link. Indeed, people with gum disease are at greater risk of heart disease than people with healthy gums. Likewise, people who suffer from periodontitis, the more severe of the two stages of gum disease, are at higher risk of having a heart attack than people without periodontitis. Fortunately, gum disease is relatively easy to treat in its earliest stages. It is also easy to detect in its earliest stages – easy to detect, that is, as long as people visit the dentist twice a year as recommended by the American Dental Association for professional cleanings and thorough oral exams.
It is important to note that just as oral health can influence heart health, heart health can influence oral health. People with heart disease are more likely to suffer from gum disease and other oral health issues; poor oral health can be symptomatic of more serious health issues. Therefore, it is essential that people with family histories of heart problems visit both their physicians and dentists regularly. They should be honest about their medical histories to both medical professionals.
Your oral health influences not only your heart health but the health of your entire body. Poor oral health puts you at greater risk of a number of serious diseases, including diabetes, stroke, emphysema, bronchitis, pneumonia, kidney disease, and a variety of cancers. To ensure the health of your mouth and body, it is important that you practice excellent oral hygiene at home, including proper brushing and flossing, and visit our practice at least twice a year.
Learn More about Dental Care and Heart Health
To learn more about the connection between dental care and heart health, please contact PGA Center For Advanced Dentistry today.