February is American Heart Month, a time where all varieties of health professionals put a little bit of extra focus on cardiovascular illness. Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States, which means that teaching people how best to stave it off is of great importance to anyone who takes health seriously.
As it turns out, dentists are as interested as anyone else in heart health, and there’s a good reason for this: emerging evidence suggests that there are substantial connections between oral health problems and cardiovascular disease. If you want to know more about this relationship, as well as how you can ensure that your oral health is in the best shape that it can possibly be, here’s some information you might find helpful.
Gum Disease and Heart Health
Because people see different doctors for dentistry than they do for the rest of their bodies, it can be easy to think about the teeth and gums as being entirely disconnected from the rest of the body. Most people wouldn’t intuit that gum disease could have far-reaching implications for your health.
However, recent science suggests that this is the case. In particular, it appears that rampant gum disease dramatically increases your chances of developing heart problems. Studies have repeatedly shown a connection between the two conditions and, notably, that treating gum disease lowered the risk of cardiovascular disease.
The evidence to this effect is so strong that both the American Dental Association and the American Heart Association have acknowledged a relationship between the two conditions.
How to Make your Smile Heart-Healthy
If you’re interested in improving your heart health, there’s no shortage of approaches you could take. However, one thing you should consider is talking to a dentist.
Gum disease is incredibly common; it’s estimated that around 50% of adults in the U.S. have it to some extent. That means that anyone concerned about their heart health should take their risk of having the condition seriously and should make it a point to ask their dentist about the potential need for gum disease therapy.
About the Author
Dr. Yelena Obholz has always enjoyed the freedom that being a dentist affords her, allowing her to offer her patients the level of excellence that she believes that they deserve. This philosophy has allowed her to create a dental practice in a league of its own, one that she can take true pride in. Dr. Obholz received her dental degree from the New York University College of Dentistry, and has attended courses at the Las Vegas Institute, Chao Pinhole Academy, and the CEREC Pace Program.
If you have any questions about the connections between heart health and your teeth, she can be reached at her website or by phone at (202) 364-8989.