Three Ways That a Healthy Mouth Can Save Your Life

We’ve been talking a lot this month about the benefits of a healthier smile. It is something we should all be striving to improve, but it isn’t always easy to convince yourself to change old habits. What if your life was on the line? In some cases, that’s exactly what happens. Researchers are always finding new connections between gum disease and other, more serious, health concerns like the ones listed below. Take a look at some of the information coming out of the latest research.

Heart Disease – We’ve always known there was a connection, but we weren’t sure what it looked like. Researchers still aren’t positive, but new studies show that when your gums bleed, the bacteria enters your bloodstream. That bacteria sticks to your blood platelets, causing it to stick and stick until it forms a clot, which can cause damage to your heart or even a heart attack.

Alzheimer’s – Alzheimer’s research is always growing and expanding because we know so little about this awful condition. New research compared the brains of Alzheimer’s victims with the brains of people without Alzheimer’s. In the Alzheimer’s brains, researchers found the bacteria p. gingivalis, the same bacteria that causing advanced gum disease. In the other brains, there was no trace of this bacteria.

Pancreatic Cancer – Again, there is no definitive research showing a cause and effect relationship between gum disease and pancreatic cancer, but studies show that men who had gum disease at some point in their lives were 64% more likely to develop pancreatic cancer.

This new information is difficult to comprehend, and until further research is done, we won’t know exactly what is going on. We do know that gum disease has massive impact on the rest of your body, and the best way to prevent it is to maintain great oral hygiene and routine appointments here in the office. Contact us today to set up an appointment for a cleaning and exam. We would love to help you have a happier, healthier smile!