Do you have Gum Disease?
Does it mean you are twice as likely to have a stroke...
A new study has found that those of us with gum disease are around twice as likely to have a stroke, highlights Ben Pearson the principal dentist at Life Dental and Wellbeing in Exeter.
Researchers have discovered when our gums bleed and become inflamed, it leads to changes in how blood and oxygen flows to our brains.
They examined more than 2,000 previous studies into this area and the results support previous studies linking a heightened stroke risk with gum disease. The Stroke Association estimates that over 100,000 strokes occur in the UK every year.
Gum disease remains one of the most common health conditions across the UK, currently affecting around 45% of the adult population. A staggering 90 per cent of us will suffer from gum disease at some point in our lives but with good dental care the risks can be easily controlled.
Common symptoms of gum disease include:
- Bleeding gums
- Loose teeth
- Gum recession (longer teeth - this often results in increased tooth sensitivity)
- Bad tastes
- Bad breath
- Drifting teeth
Gum disease is the one of the main causes of tooth loss in adults and is increasingly being linked to other general health conditions like heart disease, diabetes and some forms of dementia.
It is caused by plaque that forms on the surface of our teeth throughout the day. We need to make sure we remove all the plaque from our teeth every day. This is done by brushing twice a day with fluoride toothpaste and cleaning in between our teeth with interdental brushes or floss.
Gum disease is more likely to occur as we get older and its severity also worsens with age. Smokers experience increased levels of gum disease and diabetics are particularly prone.
Do you have bleeding gums?
Please contact Exeter dentists Life Dental and Wellbeing, for a thorough examination of your teeth and gums, which will be carried out by one of our experienced team. Call us now to book on 01392 278843.
The door to our Exeter dental practice is always open to new private patients, so please feel free to call our welcoming practice on 01392 278843, we are based on Queen Street. We look forward to meeting you and your family soon.
References
- Fagundes NCF et al. (2019) ‘Periodontitis As A Risk Factor For Stroke: A Systematic Review And Meta-Analysis’, Vascular Health and Risk Management (August 2019), available at https://doi.org/10.2147/VHRM.S....
- British Society of Periodontology (2019) ‘Gum health resources for patients’, online at https://www.bsperio.org.uk/patients (accessed November 2019).
- Heart and Stroke, ‘Don’t fall victim to the holiday heart attack’, available at https://www.heartandstroke.ca/articles/dont-fall-victim-to-the-holiday-heart-attack (accessed November 2019).
