Gum disease doubles our risk of having a stroke

A new study has found that those of us with gum disease are around twice as likely to have a stroke, highlight the Norwich dentists at Drayton Dental Care in School Road.

Researchers have discovered when our gums bleed and become inflamed, it leads to changes in how blood and oxygen flows to our brains.

They examined more than 2,000 previous studies into this area and the results support previous studies linking a heightened stroke risk with gum disease. The Stroke Association estimates that over 100,000 strokes occur in the UK every year.

Gum disease remains one of the most common health conditions across the UK, currently affecting around 45% of the adult population. A staggering 90 per cent of us will suffer from gum disease at some point in our lives but with good dental care the risks can be easily controlled.

Common symptoms of gum disease include:

• Bleeding gums
• Loose teeth
• Gum recession (longer teeth - this often results in increased tooth sensitivity)
• Bad tastes
• Bad breath
• Drifting teeth

Gum disease is the one of the main causes of tooth loss in adults and is increasingly being linked to other general health conditions like heart disease, diabetes and some forms of dementia.

It is caused by plaque that forms on the surface of our teeth throughout the day. We need to make sure we remove all the plaque from our teeth every day. This is done by brushing twice a day with fluoride toothpaste and cleaning in between our teeth with interdental brushes or floss.

Gum disease is more likely to occur as we get older and its severity also worsens with age. Smokers experience increased levels of gum disease and diabetics are particularly prone.

Do you have bleeding gums?

Please contact Drayton Dental Care near Norwich for a thorough examination of your teeth and gums, which will be carried out by one of our hygiene team. Call us now to book on 01603 860885.

References

1. Fagundes NCF et al. (2019) ‘Periodontitis As A Risk Factor For Stroke: A Systematic Review And Meta-Analysis’, Vascular Health and Risk Management (August 2019), available at https://doi.org/10.2147/VHRM.S204097.
2. British Society of Periodontology (2019) ‘Gum health resources for patients’, online at https://www.bsperio.org.uk/patients/ (accessed November 2019).
3. Heart and Stroke, ‘Don’t fall victim to the holiday heart attack’, available at https://www.heartandstroke.ca/articles/dont-fall-victim-to-the-holiday-heart-attack (accessed November 2019).

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