{"id":99,"date":"2020-02-10T14:19:42","date_gmt":"2020-02-10T14:19:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.familydentistcarrollton.com\/blog\/?p=99"},"modified":"2020-02-19T19:29:03","modified_gmt":"2020-02-19T19:29:03","slug":"oral-health-and-american-heart-month-in-carrollton","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.familydentistcarrollton.com\/blog\/2020\/02\/oral-health-and-american-heart-month-in-carrollton\/","title":{"rendered":"Why Your Dentist Celebrates American Heart Month"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"Heart<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Millions of Americans\nare currently at risk for heart disease. You might think such health issues would\nmainly affect older adults, but thanks to higher rates of obesity and raised\nblood pressure, even younger adults (particularly those between the ages of 35\nto 63) are being threatened by potentially life-threatening heart problems. Since\nFebruary is American Heart Month in Carrollton, it\u2019s a good opportunity to\nbecome more familiar with the factors that can endanger your heart health \u2013 and\nsurprisingly enough, that may very well include your smile! Learn more about\nthe connection your oral health has to your cardiovascular health.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

Linking Oral Health with Gum Disease<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

A review articles in the Journal of Indian Society of\nPeriodontology<\/em> examined various studies and found that people with gum disease\nhad a 20% higher risk of suffering from heart disease. It\u2019s widely thought that\nthe bacteria in a gum infection can enter the blood stream and cause\ninflammation in important arteries, thus making heart attacks and other issues\nmore likely. Right now, it is not clear that gum disease is a direct cause of\nheart disease, nor is there evidence that treating oral health issues can\ndirectly prevent a heart problem; however, the American Dental Association and\nAmerican Heart Association have acknowledged the relationship between the\nconditions. In any case, good oral health is generally associated with good\noverall health.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What Can You Do to Keep Your Gums Healthy?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

If you want to protect your heart, keeping your teeth and\ngums free of decay and infection could make a difference. Don\u2019t forget to brush\nat least twice every day to remove the harmful substances that can lead to gum\ndisease and other oral health issues. Pay attention to the gum line; some\npeople overlook this area, which can easily lead to plaque buildup. Equally\nimportant is flossing on a daily basis, since there are many parts of the tooth\u2019s\nsurface that you won\u2019t be able to reach with your toothbrush. Keep your regular\nappointments with the dentist so that they can make sure that you\u2019re keeping\nyour gums clean and healthy. In the event that you do end up suffering from\nheart disease in Carrollton, get in touch with your dentist right away to\nschedule a deep\ncleaning<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How Else Can You Protect Your Heart?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

In addition to maintaining good oral health issues, you can\nkeep the chances of suffering from a heart problem to a minimum by taking the\nfollowing steps:<\/p>\n\n\n\n