So I get asked all the time, as a doctor, how does oral health affect the heart? And there is quite a bit of research out there between periodontal disease and heart disease. Periodontal disease, which is an infection of the gum, creates an inflammatory process that can ultimately lead to stroke, coronary artery disease, and heart attacks. For example, there's been some studies to show that patients that have cored artery blockages, where they've taken out the blockages and they studied the blockages, and they found actually bacteria from the mouth in these blockages. So, there are many direct connections between periodontal disease and heart disease, and many benefits to taking care of your periodontal disease to avoid having cardiac issues.
Does oral health affect diabetes?
The answer is yes. There's been lots of research to show that a poor periodontal condition can exacerbate the diabetic condition. Periodontal disease is one of the manifestations that we see in diabetic patients. You know, diabetes comes with a whole host of problems, such as blindness, neuropathy, cardiovascular disease, and periodontal disease is one of the factors that we see in diabetes. So, it's important that if you're a diabetic, that you get regular gum checkups, that you get regular cleanings, because, in actual fact, there are studies to show that if you're getting regular cleanings, it could actually improve the glycemic control of the patient and improve their globin A1C value. So, it's a direct connection between periodontal disease and diabetes.
Is having regular dental care good for pregnancy?
Yes, there have been studies to show that periodontal disease can lead to pre-term low birth weight babies and early contractions. Because if the gum disease is out of control and the inflammation is out of control, those inflammatory markers can get into the bloodstream and cause premature contractions and pre-term low birth weight babies. So, I recommend to my patients that during pregnancy, they should be having cleanings every 3 months so that we can keep the mouth nice and healthy to avoid any problems during pregnancy.