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Written By: Editorial Team | Published : May 7, 2014 12:19 PM IST
Swollen gums, bleeding after brushing, loosening of teeth, constant bad breath and receding gum line -- all these are signs of poor oral hygiene and its adverse impact on gums. Problems in gums in initial stages are easy to combat, but results could be as bad as loss of tooth, if not treated early.
Many people do not know that gum diseases not only lead to loss of tooth, but can also be a call to many serious health issues too. 'Periodontal diseases, commonly known as gum problems, can be a call to many health disorders like diabetes, cardiovascular diseases and oral cancer, among others. So any sign of gum trouble should not be ignored as it not only results in loss of tooth but can expose you to innumerable health ailments too,'says Dr Simita Madan,Gurgaon Axiss Dental, India's leading multi-speciality chain of dental clinics.
Here are a few ailments that oral problems could lead to:
Cardiovascular diseases: Research has shown that periodontal disease may increase the risk for developing cardiovascular disease. Both periodontal disease and cardiovascular disease are chronic inflammatory diseases, so researchers believe that inflammation may account for the association between the two.
Diabetes:Diabetes and gum diseases are totally interlinked, studies show. In fact, many a times it is the swollen gums that take the patient to a dentist and ultimately it turns out to be a case of undiagnosed diabetes.
Dementia:Thediseasewhich hampers a person's cognitive ability, the ability to think and causes memory loss, is also found to be linked with gum diseases. A study from University of Central Lancashire School of Medicine and Dentistry points to fact that these two conditions may be interlinked.
Rheumatoid arthritis: There are studies which suggest that people with rheumatoid arthritis are more prone to contracting gum diseases and vice versa. People with gum disease, it has been proven, are more at risk of rheumatoid arthritis than those who have healthy gums.
Premature birth:Though there have been conflictingreports on the association between the two conditions, there areresearches which say that women who have periodontal disease are more likely to have babies before term. A baby who is born before term is susceptible to a number of health ailments.
Chronic kidney disease:Links have been foundbetween these two diseases too.A study, conducted by Case Western Reserve University, suggests that those do not have natural teeth are at more risk of having chronic kidney disease than those who had natural teeth.
Oral cancer:Too much smoking, alcohol and tobacco use lead to periodontal disease.Inthe worst cases of gum problems, oral cancer is the outcome. There have been so many instances which prove the linkbetween gum diseases and oral cancer.
Any sign of oral problem should not be ignored, rather preventive steps should be taken. A bi-annual visit to the dentist is all what is needed to keep your oral health in good shape. Don't forget, prevention is the key!
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