The gums surrounding your teeth act as a seal from infection and protect the sensitive and prone areas of the tooth roots against bacteria. When gum disease invades your mouth and stays unchecked, it can advance to areas underneath the gumline. Here, it begins to invade the supporting tissues and structures of the teeth. As a result, your teeth could fall out. Okay, now this sounds extreme, but that is not all gum disease can do to your body.
Bacteria Can Enter the Bloodstream
Gum disease opens the doorway for harmful bacteria to move to the bloodstream. Scientists have established that oral bacteria, for instance, streptococcus sangguis, are able to penetrate the bloodstream via routes left hanging open as a result of untreated gum disease. In the blood, bacteria can harm various body organs.
Although the immune system can fight off these bacteria before they bring serious infections into your body, individuals whose immunity is weakened can easily get infections. Patients may develop conditions like endocarditis, a dangerous heart valve infection that can be life-threatening.
Bacteria in Bloodstream is Perilous, Even to Healthy Individuals
A constant invasion of the body by oral bacteria is likely to trigger persistent, systemic inflammation in many areas of the body. Patients may suffer long-term health issues as a result.
When the body's immune system senses foreign invaders like oral bacteria, it alerts and sends an army of white cells to that area. The blood vessels within that area dilate as more blood flow gets to that part. It is the body's way of fighting infection, and it triggers spikes of inflammation, which can bring problems in the long term.
Long-term inflammation contributes to health risks such as hypertension, heart disease, stroke, heart attack, high cholesterol, or even diabetes. The streptococcus sangguis bacteria along with the inflammation caused by the bacteria are believed to cause blood clots that block arteries, possibly triggering a stroke or heart attack.
Get more details on how oral bacteria impact your overall health. Contact our periodontist today.
About Bruce Gopin DDS, MS | El Paso, TX Dental Implants If you need periodontal work, you've come to the right place. We listen closely to our patients, creating treatment plans that work within budgets and schedules. Bruce Gopin, DDS, MS Periodontics + Implant Surger, 9398 Viscount Blvd. Ste 5C, El Paso, TX 79925 + 915-213-3455 + gopinperio.com + 9/11/2024 + Page Keywords: dental implants El Paso TX +
The gums surrounding your teeth act as a seal from infection and protect the sensitive and prone areas of the tooth roots against bacteria. When gum disease invades your mouth and stays unchecked, it can advance to areas underneath the gumline. Here, it begins to invade the supporting tissues and structures of the teeth. As a result, your teeth could fall out. Okay, now this sounds extreme, but that is not all gum disease can do to your body.