Dental Hygiene
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Heart Desease
Researchers in the UK have determined that there is another reason for people to continue flossing and brushing their teeth. It turns out that the same bacteria of the gums that causes dental plaque may get in the bloodstream and cause clots that will increase risk of heart disease and heart attack.
This study was conducted by researchers for two different universities in Ireland and was presented at a meeting of the Society for General Microbiology at the University of Nottingham, UK.
The leading professor of the study presented the findings at the meeting. He also stated that poor dental hygiene can result in gums that bleed which provide bacteria a route in the bloodstream, where they cause blood clots that can lead to a heart attack.
He added that everyone needs to be aware that it’s not only blood pressure, cholesterol, exercise, and diet that people need to be aware of, but that poor dental hygiene will increase the risk of heart problems.
Disease of the gums and tooth plaque are the result when Streptococcus bacteria builds up in a person’s mouth of they don’t floss and brush regularly. Disease of the gums makes the gums bleed, which permits bacteria to go in the bloodstream.
The study found that after the Streptococcus bacteria got in the bloodstream, they use a protein that stays on the outer surface, hijacks the blood platelets and forces them to make blood clots.
The bacteria encase themselves completely in the platelets that are clumped together which enables them to hide from antibiotics. This helps the bacteria because this clumping of the platelets can result in the inflammation of the blood vessels which can cause blood clots that may block the blood supply to the brain and the heart, heart valve growths.
- Diabetes:
Conversely, poor oral health can make your diabetes more difficult to control. Infections may cause your blood sugar to rise and require more insulin to keep it under control.
In addition, diabetes can diminish your ability to taste sweets. Although this change may not be noticeable, it can influence your food choices in favor of additional sweeter tasting foods, thereby affecting your dental health, as well as your ability to control your diabetes.
Awareness of potential oral complications from diabetes will improve your chances of maintaining a healthy mouth and sound teeth.
Tooth and gum damage: Diabetes can take a toll
Day in and day out, high blood sugar caused by diabetes can contribute to progressive damage to your teeth and gums, which may cause tooth loss. Here’s how it happens.
Plaque: Diabetes feeds this cavity-causing menace
An invisible film of bacteria, saliva and food particles (dental plaque) normally covers teeth. The bacteria feed on the sugars and starches in the foods and beverages you consume and produce acids that damage the hard enamel coating of your teeth.
Higher blood sugar that accompanies diabetes gives the bacteria a greater supply of sugars and starches, leading to production of even more acid. Damage from this acid increases the risk of tooth decay (cavities).
Gum disease: From irritation to tooth loss
Dental plaque can also cause other problems. If you don’t remove it from your teeth with regular brushing and flossing, it hardens under your gumline into a substance called tartar, or calculus.
Tartar irritates the gums and causes gingivitis. This makes the gums tender, swollen and red, and they may bleed when you brush your teeth. Fortunately, your dentist or dental hygienist can prevent or treat gingivitis by removing tartar during a professional dental cleaning.
Untreated gingivitis leads to a more serious condition when bacteria infect your gums and the bones around your teeth (periodontitis). This can cause your gums to pull away from your teeth and your teeth to loosen and even fall out.
Gingivitis and periodontitis are the most common oral complications of diabetes. If you have type 2 diabetes, you’re three times as likely to develop such gum disease as is someone who doesn’t have diabetes. Diabetes lowers your body’s resistance to many infections and slows the rate at which you heal.
In addition, some research suggests that people with gum infections may be at increased risk of cardiovascular disease. One theory is that bacteria from the mouth enter the bloodstream and cause inflammation throughout the body, including the arteries. This may be linked with the development of atherosclerotic plaques in the arteries, which increases the risk of heart attack and stroke.
To help prevent damage to your teeth and gums:
-See your dentist at least twice a year, and make sure your dentist knows that you have diabetes.
-Brush your teeth twice a day, using a soft nylon toothbrush, and brush the upper surface of your tongue.
-Floss every day.
-Look for early signs of gum disease, such as bleeding gums, redness and swelling. If you notice them, see your dentist.