Over the teeth, past the gums, look out body, here it comes.

The Heart: Periodontal disease may increase the risk of cardiovascular disease and fatal heart attacks. In fact, those with gum disease are almost twice as likely to suffer from heart disease as those with healthy gums.

The Kidneys: bacteria often enter the body through the mouth. With poor oral care, infections progress faster. This increases the diseases the kidneys must fight off.

The Brain: Periodontal disease may increase the risk of stroke. Research has shown that harmful bacteria in the mouth can make a person more susceptible to developing blood clots and can eventually increase the chance of a stroke.

The Lungs: Poor oral health may worsen respiratory illnesses by promoting growth of harmful bacteria that can be transported to the lungs. When the germs reach the lungs, they can breed and multiply to cause pneumonia and bronchitis.

The Pancreas: Diabetics are at greater risk for periodontal disease. Periodontal disease may disrupt the control of blood sugars, which can increase the likelihood of serious complications such as heart and lung diseases.

For the Ladies: Mothers-To-Be are more likely to have a pre-term birth when they have periodontal disease than mothers-to-be that have healthy gums.

Fast Facts:
A survey of 1,000 people over the ages of 35 found that 60% of those surveyed knew very little, if anything at all, about gum disease.

More than 8% of American adults between the ages of 20 and 64 suffer from periodontal disease.

Nearly 75% of all American adults suffer from various forms of gum disease and they don’t even know it.

Editing of text: Vasileios Megas DDS, MD

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