Gum Disease and Heart Palpitations: Is There a Connection?

Did you know there’s a link between dental health and overall wellness? Yes. A few studies have shown an existing relationship between dental conditions and certain health diseases. One such correlation is gum disease and heart conditions.

What is Gum Disease?

When plaques harden, they form tartar which accumulates causing inflammation and gum disease. The infection can cause the gums, teeth, and bone tissues to breakdown.

Gum infection advances in stages starting with inflammation (gingivitis) and in advance stages it causes periodontitis. Advanced gum disease causes the gums to recede and form pockets.

Gingivitis symptoms include inflamed, red, tender, swollen, and bleeding gums.

What Are Heart Palpitations?

Palpitation is a sensation of heart-pounding, fast breathing, or fluttering. Certain factors such as stress, medication, exercise, and existing medical conditions can increase the risk.

Heart palpitations are usually harmless unless they are triggered by a heart condition.

What’s The Connection Between Gum Infection and Heart Palpitations?

Gum disease does not directly cause palpitations, but it increases the risk of heart disease, which is a trigger.

The bacteria present in gingivae can spread to the surrounding tissues and the bloodstream, causing inflammation. Furthermore, the bacteria can also cause the narrowing of the arteries affecting blood flow and oxygen supply. It is crucial to visit Paramus dentistry for gum disease treatment to prevent this from happening.

What Causes Gum Disease?

Poor hygiene is the chief cause of gum infection. However, other factors can cause or increase the risk of developing gingivae inflammation.

• Hormonal changes that usually occur during pregnancy, menopause, puberty, and the monthly menstruation can make the gums sensitive. The fluctuations in hormones also reduce the body’s ability to fight infections which further increases the risk.
• Medications can affect saliva production. Dry mouth is a breeding ground for bacteria because saliva helps to clean the mouth of any food particles.
• Illness impairs your immune system, affecting the body’s ability to fight any infection.
• Lifestyle habits such as smoking make it harder for the gum to heal or wade of infections.

How Gum Disease Treated?

To stop the spread of bacteria and avoid heart and other health palpitations, it is imperative to start gum disease treatment in Paramus, NJ early.

Some of the treatments that our dentist in Paramus, NJ can use include:

• Deep cleaning. This is the first line of gum infection treatment. Unlike regular cleaning which only focuses on cleaning above the gums, professional cleaning goes under the gum line.
• Scaling and root planing. Scaling involves the removal of tartar buildup. Root planing involves the reduction of the gum pockets and reattachment of the gum’s teeth.
• Medications. Although there are no specific medications for gum infection, the dentist can recommend antibiotics as part of your treatment.
• Surgery may be recommended if the treatments don’t work. Gum graft, flap surgery, bone, and tissue grafting can be done to correct and get rid of the infection.

How Can You Prevent Gum Disease?

The best defense against gum disease is prevention. It is possible to reverse gum disease and the progression of the infection with proper dental care. Controlling plaques with professional dental cleaning twice a year is also crucial.

Remember, brushing and flossing help to eliminate the plaques from the surfaces, but deep cleaning gets rid of buildup underneath the gums. Also, consider using antibacterial rinses to reduce bacteria that trigger gum disease.

Other lifestyle factors to try include:

• Reduce stress to support the immune system
• Stop smoking because tobacco affects the body’s ability to heal
• Focus on proper nutrition to help boost your immune system and fight infections
• Avoid clenching and grinding as they put excess force on the teeth which causes the tissues to wear down.

Gum infection is treatable, but when leaving it unattended will lead to the spread of the bacteria to the body which affects your health. Periodontal disease is not the only cause, but it is a risk factor for heart diseases and other conditions such as diabetes.

If you have swollen tender, bleeding gums, visit Paramus Park Mall Dental for treatment. We offer gum disease treatment among other dental services.