How Your Teeth Can Predict Heart Disease and Diabetes

Your health can be affected by any part of your body. That means that problems in one part of your body can show in other parts of your body. In this case, your dental health can show signs of chronic conditions, like heart disease and diabetes. A skilled dentist can help you identify these problems before they become a widespread problem. Here is how your teeth can predict heart disease and diabetes.

Heart Disease is a symptom of excessive plaque buildup that hardens the walls of your heart, arteries, and veins. Limited plaque buildup can be a good thing since it can strengthen your cardiovascular system. However, uncontrolled plaque buildup threatens to clog your arteries. 

Your dentist may be able to spot this plaque buildup early since that same plaque can come from your mouth. It builds up on your teeth and can cause cavities if left untreated. That means that excessive plaque on your teeth could mean that it is building up in other places as well. Fortunately, your dentist can also help you fight heart disease by improving your dental health. As the bacteria in your mouth die off, there is less plaque and less bacteria to travel to other parts of your body. 

Gum disease is a major bacterial infection in your gums. You often see it when dental health and care are poor. Many people with poor dental care habits see a buildup of food particles and liquids that feed bacteria. As the amount of bacteria increases, it moves deeper into the gums so that it can find other food sources. Unfortunately, gum disease can contribute to diabetes.

Diabetes can be caused by having too much sugar in your bloodstream. Bacteria break down food and turn it into sugar. So, a massive increase in bacteria in your mouth and throughout your body can lead to the onset of diabetes since there is also a large increase in sugar production thanks to the bacteria. 

If you have gum disease, then you are more likely to have some form of diabetes. Fortunately, your dentist can help you with this as well. Deep cleaning and other treatments to kill the bacteria and fight gum disease will decrease the amount of bacteria in your body overall. As the bacteria decreases, you should see a drop in your blood sugar levels as well.

While your dentist can predict and help fight these conditions, it takes a more comprehensive approach to fix these problems. You should work with your dentist to improve your overall dental health. It is one of the early lines of defense for your body since a healthy mouth fights infections and diseases. Regular dentist visits can do a lot in helping you fight chronic conditions. 

If you have diabetes or heart disease, include your dentist is your treatment method. A skilled dentist can help you improve your dental health, which should also help with chronic conditions. Call McDonald Family Dentistry at 408-779-9335 to schedule an appointment. We can help patients of any age improve their dental health and fight chronic conditions.