Gum disease is a malevolent dental condition that has adverse effects on a person's mouth. However, this condition has now been found to affect more than the mouth. It has been found that having gum disease may even cause heart disease.

Gum disease is a serious dental condition that affects a person's mouth. Research done recently has shown that there is connection between this dental condition and heart disease in Shoreline. In general, the data shows that having chronic gum disease may be a factor in the development of heart disease, which is the primary cause of death for men as well as women in the United States.
This condition is a bacterial infection that primarily affects a person's oral health. However, it can also affect the other parts of the body. One theory regarding the connection between heart disease and gum disease in Shoreline says that having the latter can cause bacteria to go into the bloodstream and attach to the fatty deposits in the blood vessels of the heart. This can result in blood clots, as well as heart attacks in the future.

Something to note is that the Surgeon General's Report with regard to oral health says that maintaining a high level of oral health is essential to person's general health. Therefore, brushing and flossing daily, and going for regular dental checkups are very important.

A person can do several things to maintain a high level of oral health if they have heart disease. The first step is creating and maintaining a healthy mouth. This entails brushing and flossing a minimum of twice daily and maintaining frequent dentist visits. Secondly, they need to let their dentist know that they have a heart condition. Lastly, patients are advised to follow the instructions that their dentist and physician give them carefully. They should use any prescription medication as recommended.

Because of the connection between gum disease and heart disease, patients in Shoreline who have gum disease may be at risk of contracting bacterial endocarditis if they have any previous heart conditions. Bacterial endocarditis is an infection that affects the heart's valves or the inner linings of the heart. Anytime a patient notices bleeding in their mouth, some oral bacteria caused by gum disease may go into their blood stream. Then the bacteria settle on the heart valves, or settle on tissues that have been weakened by any previous heart condition or heart problem. In cases such as these, the bacterial infection can result in tissues or valves of the heart being damaged or even destroyed.

Should the patient have synthetic heart valves, mitral valve prolapse with a murmur, an endocarditis history, heart valves that have been injured by conditions like rheumatic fever, or congenital heart valve defects, they need to take certain precautions.

If a patient is affected by a heart problem, it is vital that they let their dentist know about it, as well as about any medication they are taking, if any. This allows the dentist to record vital information about the patient's health and coordinate any treatment with their physician.