8 Health Problems Linked to Poor Dental Health

Sore teeth, bleeding gums, and bad breath are all signs of poor dental health. Dental health mainly involves your teeth, gum line, and other mouth tissues. However, are you aware that dental health can affect other parts of your body? Dangerous oral bacteria can enter your bloodstream, ultimately infecting every organ or tissue it can reach. 

Keep reading to discover the eight dangerous health problems that can result from poor dental health. 

1. Heart disease

Poor dental hygiene leads to poor dental health, which puts you at risk for heart disease, believe it or not. The bacteria resulting in gum disease can enter your bloodstream and create plaque buildup in the arteries. This plaque hardens over time, eventually leading to serious diseases like atherosclerosis. Atherosclerosis impairs blood flow and produces heart blockages, increasing your risk of a heart attack. Damage to the blood vessels and arteries can also lead to high blood pressure, which can result in a stroke. Endocarditis, a deadly illness that infects your heart’s lining, can also develop in rare circumstances.

2. Diabetes

Diabetes makes adults and children more susceptible to infection that causes periodontitis, but periodontitis can make diabetes more difficult to treat. As your blood sugar levels rise or go haywire owing to gum disease, your symptoms may worsen. If you’re diagnosed with diabetes, it is extremely important to maintain good dental health to avoid complications. On the other hand, because gum disease can raise blood sugar levels, a person with poor dental health is more likely to develop diabetes.

3. Infertility among women

There is a link between bad dental health and infertility among women. Gum disease is suspected to be to blame, as it can produce a slew of health problems that make it difficult for a woman to conceive and maintain a healthy pregnancy. Besides, when compared to someone with proper dental health, a woman with bad dental health may take longer to conceive.

4. Pregnancy complications

Oral infections might spread more quickly during pregnancy due to the body’s natural hormonal fluctuations. Hence, it’s critical for expecting mothers to maintain appropriate dental hygiene. Any infection in a woman’s body raises her chances of having a difficult pregnancy. Gingivitis and periodontitis, which affect the mother’s oral health, have been linked to premature low birth weight in newborns.

5. Malignant diseases

Mouth and throat cancers can be caused by bad habits, the most common of which is smoking or using tobacco products. However, periodontitis has been related to a variety of cancers, including pancreatic, kidney, and blood cancers.

6. Chronic kidney failure

There is a clear link between periodontitis and chronic kidney failure. Chronic kidney failure affects your heart, bones, blood pressure, and disrupts the normal function of your bean-shaped kidneys. Kidney disease can lead to life-threatening complications such as end-stage renal disease and heart disease.

7. Rheumatoid arthritis

According to the National Rheumatoid Arthritis Society, those with gum disease are 40% more likely to develop rheumatoid arthritis, a chronic and progressive disease. Inflammation is present in both of these conditions. Gum disease bacteria can cause inflammation in your entire body, significantly increasing your risk of developing rheumatoid arthritis.

8. Dementia

Did you realize that your mouth might have an impact on your brain? Bacteria and other chemicals found in inflamed gums have been shown to destroy brain cells and cause amnesia. When dangerous oral bacteria affect the nerve pathways or infiltrate the bloodstream, they can cause dementia and even Alzheimer’s disease.

The bottom line

If you experience symptoms of any aforementioned condition, don’t hesitate to schedule an in-person dental evaluation to determine if your dental health has anything to do with it.