How Your Oral Health Affects Your Overall Health
If your eyes are the window to your soul, your gums are the window to your heart. That’s because what happens in your gums can actually reveal what’s going on deep inside your body, says Maria Delgado-Lelievre, M.D., a cardiologist and founder and director of the Comprehensive Hypertension Center at the University of Miami Health System.
While your mouth and heart might seem to be separate systems, inflammation that begins in your mouth doesn’t stay there. “Your gums sit over a very vascular tissue. When there’s gum disease, inflammatory markers enter the bloodstream and that inflammation travels throughout the body,” says Dr. Delgado.
How your gums can affect your heart
Gum tissue is full of tiny blood vessels. Healthy gums act as a barrier. However, when plaque buildup or infection causes gum disease, the tissue becomes inflamed and can bleed. “It’s like injecting inflammation through your mouth into the rest of your body,” says Dr. Delgado.
Those inflammatory molecules affect the endothelium, the delicate lining inside every blood vessel. This lining plays a vital role in regulating blood pressure, blood flow and how your pancreas responds to insulin. When this lining becomes inflamed, it disrupts everything from your blood pressure to your blood sugar.
The link between gum disease, diabetes, and high blood pressure
Inflammation in your mouth over time is a silent saboteur. Chronic gum disease can make your body less sensitive to insulin, leading to higher blood sugar levels. If you have diabetes, gum disease can worsen the condition and even interfere with the effectiveness of blood pressure medication.
The good news is that when you calm inflammation in one part of the body, you improve your overall health. “Healthy gums support healthy blood vessels, which support better blood pressure and glucose control,” says Dr. Delgado.
Why oral health and systemic health are often disconnected
In the United States, dental and medical care operate in separate silos, which Dr. Delgado says she considers unfortunate. Dentists and physicians are well aware of the connection between the mouth and the cardiovascular system, but this knowledge doesn’t always translate into patients knowing the importance of taking action.
Besides inflamed gums, it’s common for dentists to detect high blood pressure during routine visits when they take readings before procedures. “Dentists may see signs of hypertension or inflammation first, but that information doesn’t always reach a primary care provider,” says Dr. Delgado.
Treating gum disease can help your medications work better.
Emerging studies link periodontitis (gum disease) to higher rates of cardiovascular disease. The reverse is also true: treating gum disease can help improve blood pressure and make medications more effective.
“It’s not like brushing your teeth replaces medication, but good oral health supports everything else we do for blood pressure and diabetes. It helps the body respond better to treatment,” says Dr. Delgado.
Daily oral care habits that protect your heart and blood sugar
Oral care is integral to your overall health –especially your heart health. “When you calm inflammation in your mouth, you protect the rest of your body,” says Dr. Delgado. The following are four tips from Dr. Delgado to improve your heart health:
- Brush and floss daily: Consistent oral care prevents gum inflammation and infection.
- Visit the dentist twice a year: Your dentist can help you maintain oral hygiene. If you have diabetes or high blood pressure, consider proactively asking about gum disease screening.
- Quit smoking: Smoking is one of the biggest causes of oral and vascular inflammation.
- Reduce whole-body inflammation: A healthy diet, weight management and stress reduction can all help reduce inflammation throughout your body.
Remember, your gums and heart share the same blood vessels.
Because your gums and your heart share the same blood vessels, what affects one area affects the other. Next time your dentist reminds you to floss daily, know that it’s not just good advice for preventing cavities. You’re also lowering your risk of heart disease.
To make an appointment at the Comprehensive Hypertension Center, call 305-243-5554 or request an in-person or virtual visit online.
The Comprehensive Hypertension Center at the University of Miami Health System is the only American Heart Association-certified center in South Florida. The center has received the American Heart Association/American Medical Association Target: BP Gold Plus Award for the second consecutive year for excellence in blood pressure control.
Written by Wendy Margolin.
Tags: chronic inflammation risks, Dr. Maria Delgado, hypertension and dental care, integrative cardiometabolic care, oral-systemic connection
