In our previous article post, this dual-degreed oral surgeon in Chicago Loop began discussing the connection between periodontal disease (a chronic and/or acute oral bacterial infection) and the general health and well-being of the body. There is much scientific and medical literature supporting the fact that poor periodontal health, even just around impacted teeth, can increase a patient’s risk of developing a whole host of nasty and potentially fatal diseases, says this oral surgeon in Chicago Loop. These include diabetes, heart disease, cancer, Alzheimer’s, osteoporosis and respiratory disease. This connection is not hard to understand when you consider how intimately linked our mouth is – and what we put in it – with the rest of our body. A consistent exposure to infection in the mouth puts the rest of the body under extreme stress and the accompanying chronic inflammation and immune reaction can become a risk factor for the above-mentioned conditions. In this, the second installment of a four-part series, this oral surgeon in Chicago Loop will explore the link between poor periodontal health and heart disease.

According to the American Academy of Periodontology, gum disease increases a patient’s risk of developing heart disease by almost 50 percent! So, in other words, if you have long suffered from an oral bacterial infection and have not sought treatment, you are not only severely compromising your oral health, but the health of your heart as well, says this dual-degreed oral surgeon in Chicago Loop. This relationship is a very serious one, especially when you consider that a staggering 80% of Americans present with some form or stage of oral bacterial infection.

So, how does an infection in the mouth affect your heart? Well first of all, let’s take a look at the infected mouth under the microscope (not for those with weak stomachs!) There are over 300 different kinds of bacteria in your average garden variety plaque, the whitish sticky film that covers your teeth when you don’t brush, says the oral surgeon in Chicago Loop. When the soft tissues surrounding the teeth become infected, the mouth literally teems with all kinds of nasty micro-organisms. If you baulk at the thought of putting a piece of rotten meat in your mouth, then know that there is little difference between this horrendous act and having focal or generalized periodontal disease.

Now, according to the oral surgeon in Chicago Loop, every time you brush and floss your teeth, legions of these bacteria get channeled into the blood stream, especially because infected gums readily bleed, even when only a little pressure is applied to them. This leads to a build-up of bacteria and bad chemical mediators of inflammation causing plaque formation in the arteries, says this dual-degreed oral surgeon in Chicago Loop, and the heart is like the Central Business District of your body: all arteries are like major roads that lead there. This build-up of vascular plaque can also cause clot formation, adding yet another risk factor to periodontal disease: stroke.

It is because of the frightening link between the health of the mouth and that of the heart that thorough lifelong oral hygiene is so incredibly important, says the oral surgeon in Chicago Loop. Cavity prevention and the maintenance of great smile aesthetics is equally as important and thankfully all can be taken care of simply by brushing and flossing regularly (and properly), removing impacted teeth and going for regular check-ups with the general dentist and oral surgeon in Chicago Loop.