gum disease

The Hidden Dangers Of Oral Bacteria

By on May 29, 2016

Your mouth is completely filled with oral bacteria. From the moment you’re born your mouth contains hundreds of bacteria strains that will be with you for life, and plenty more are added as you are exposed to the world.

While many of the strains in your mouth are completely harmless there are some that can do serious damage. In most circumstances that bacteria stays confined to your mouth, but all it takes is a little bit in your bloodstream to cause problems throughout your body. At Really Smile we feel that it’s our responsibility to warn you of the health risks posed by oral bacteria. We want you to have a lifetime of healthy smiles, and that can only happen if we help you keep it that way!

How Oral Bacteria Gets Into Your Blood

Have you ever bled when brushing your teeth? If so you’re probably seeing the earliest signs of gum disease. It starts small with just a bit of bacteria under your gums, and as it progresses you end up with swollen, sensitive, red, and receding gums that are constantly letting bacteria pour into your bloodstream and spread throughout your body.

Because bleeding happens so early in the course of gum disease it’s the most common way for bacteria to spread around your body. It isn’t the only way, however, and in many cases severe cavities cause it as well. If you’ve ever had a persistent toothache then decay has probably reached the root of a tooth, which is filled with blood vessels. Bacteria has ready access to your circulatory system when a cavity becomes that deep.

What Happens Once Bacteria Gets Around?

When oral bacteria spreads into your blood it has the potential to cause problems everywhere. Certain strains are known to cause certain conditions, so not everyone is at risk for the same complications.

Heart disease is probably the most common complication for people suffering from poor oral health. The worst part is that bacteria doesn’t even need to make it into your blood to cause this serious problem – all it takes is the chronic inflammation that comes with gum disease. Inflammatory markers in your blood, which gum disease causes a lot of, are also a common cause of heart disease.
Kidney disease patients suffer from immune system problems, which increases the risk of developing gum disease and cavities. If you suffer from kidney disease your chance of dying from the condition skyrockets with if you also have poor oral health!
Hemorrhagic strokes are often caused by oral bacteria, specifically the strain known as Streptococcus mutans. S. mutans loves to latch on to weakened blood vessels in the brain, where it reproduces and grows until it causes a rupture.
Recent studies point to a link between oral bacteria and the speed of Alzheimer’s development. Patients who have Alzheimer’s and poor oral health have much higher fatality rates and will experience faster mental decline than those with healthy mouths.
Breast cancer patients have been found to have much higher rates of gum disease, which can make the condition more dangerous.
Esophageal cancer has been shown to attract oral bacteria. Samples of throat tissue from esophageal cancer patients reveals an incredibly high concentration of oral bacteria on cancer cells, but no excess on neighboring healthy tissue. This suggests that oral bacteria is either causing the development of cancer or is part of its growth.
Pancreatic cancer patients often have completely unique microbiomes (bacteria populations) in their mouths. When these particular strains get into the blood it’s a severe risk for the development of cancer.

How To Protect Your Mouth And Body

Keeping yourself healthy doesn’t need to be a challenge. In fact, it’s easy to maintain good oral health by following a few simple guidelines.

Brush your teeth twice daily with a fluoride toothpaste. Make sure you don’t brush too hard and always use a soft bristled brush.
Floss every night. The spaces between your teeth are particularly vulnerable to gum disease and decay. You have to be sure you’re cleaning them daily or else problems will develop.
Don’t forget to make regular checkup appointments at our Carmel office. Cleanings and exams twice a year are a fundamental part of good oral health!

Ready To Commit To Good Oral Health?

We’re ready to see you as soon as you’re ready to be seen! If you want to schedule an appointment at Really Smile Dentistry don’t wait another day – call us now! You can reach our Carmel office at 317-451-4050 or you can request an appointment online. We look forward to seeing you soon!

Assess Your Risk For Common Oral Health Problems [Quiz]

By on April 29, 2016

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Are Your Gums Killing You?

By on September 25, 2015

As you age you probably have some basic health concerns: are you staying active enough? Is your diet the best for your health? How about heart disease – are you at risk? We generally consider fitness and diet to be the two major factors in staying healthy but what about other risk factors? Did you know your oral health could be directly connected to your heart disease risk?

At Really Smile Dental we’ve been treating gum disease for years and the health risks is causes are surprising! At the top of this list is heart disease: a potentially fatal side effect of poor oral health!

What Is Gum Disease?

You’re probably familiar with dental cavities: the bacteria in your mouth produces acids that eat away at your teeth causing decay. Gum disease is caused by that same bacteria but through a slightly different process. Bacteria is always looking for a safe spot to settle and the area below your gum lines is definitely one of those safe spots!

Once bacteria gets below your gum line it will continue to produce acids and irritate your gums, causing them to become red and inflamed. They can also start pulling away from your teeth, creating pockets that trap more and more bacteria and debris. This just causes the problem to get worse, and eventually you could be facing receding gums, loosening teeth, and even complete tooth loss!

Gum Disease And Your Health

There are several diseases that have been linked to gum disease and all of them are pretty serious! The problem stems from one primary factor: oral bacteria in infected gums making its way into your bloodstream. There are several conditions that are connected to oral bacteria in your blood – in fact there’s a 50 percent increase in heart disease risk for patients with gum disease!

The reasons why gum disease and heart disease are linked is complicated and something that researchers are still delving in to. There are links between gum disease inflammation and general inflammation in the veins and body, as well as the bacteria in the bloodstream that can lead to infection elsewhere.

One of the major concerns of bacteria in the bloodstream is endocarditis. This condition involves bacteria in the heart, which can cause infections, heart attacks, and risk of death! For most people with healthy immune systems this isn’t a problem. If you’re getting older or are taking medication that might damage your immune system gum disease can definitely increase your risks in this area!

Heart disease risks increase for the same reasons. A correlation between hardening of the arteries and oral bacteria in the bloodstream has been found – artery hardening is one of the major causes of heart attacks! When your arteries harden it’s because there have been deposits of fat and other material on the inside of your veins. This restricts blood flow and can not just lead to heart attack but to stroke as well!

Preventing These Conditions

There are a lot of things you can do to prevent gum disease and eventual heart attack or stroke. The best way is to ensure you’re practicing good oral hygiene habits at home! If you’re not brushing twice a day and flossing in the evening you’re increasing your risk! You also need to be sure you’re brushing properly – not too hard and with a soft bristled brush. Always be sure to get every single tooth and brush down from the gum line to the crown.

That isn’t all you can do to prevent and treat gum disease. You also need to be sure you’re seeing us at our Carmel dentist office for exams and cleanings every six months! By seeing us for regular cleanings you’re setting yourself up for future success! We can identify and treat the signs of gum disease far before they become serious and endanger your health!

If you want to find out more about how dentistry can keep your heart healthy don’t hesitate to call us! You can reach Really Smile Dentistry by calling us at 317-451-4050! If you want to schedule an appointment you can do so by phone or by filling out our online appointment request form. We look forward to seeing you soon!

What Happens If Gum Disease Is Left Unchecked?

By on August 12, 2015

Maybe you’ve experienced some of the symptoms of periodontal, or gum, disease: bleeding, inflamed gums, sensitivity, discoloration … the list goes on! You may never have experienced these or other symptoms but that still doesn’t completely eliminate your chances of having or getting gum disease.

For many patients the early symptoms of gum disease aren’t noticeable and are often reversed with better oral hygiene. For other patients periodontal problems never go away, and generally get worse. Over time this can be incredibly destructive on your oral health, which is what brings us to today’s topic: the long-term effects of periodontal disease.

What Is Periodontal Disease?

The soft tissue of your mouth is under assault from the same forces that attack your teeth: plaque bacteria. While it isn’t a problem for your gums under normal conditions there is always the possibility of some plaque bacteria making it below your gum line, where it can start to grow unchecked!

As this process continues your gums start to become irritated and inflamed due to the bacteria. This can cause bleeding and irritation until your gums start to recede, exposing more and more of your teeth.

Gum Recession

It isn’t a problem initially, but over time diseased gums will start to recede. As this continues you start to become at risk for losing a tooth! Your gums are an important part of keeping your teeth securely in place, and without them your teeth won’t have anything keeping them in place!

Gum recession can continue and your gums will eventually pull back from your teeth, forming large pockets that can easily become infected. At this point you’ll likely start to experience a loosening of teeth: the first sign that tooth loss is possible!

Tooth Loss

Damage to your gums eventually progresses to tooth loss, and the loss of one tooth isn’t the end! When you lose a single tooth the neighboring ones are left with nothing supporting them. They’ll shift and move, causing changes in your bite and the position of your top row of teeth.

Since your bottom teeth are already loose the shifting can call them to fall out completely. This domino effect of tooth loss can continue until you’ve lost every single tooth! While techniques such as dentures, implants, and bridges exist to help restore lost teeth you’re still not out of the woods!

Overall Health

There are several strong links between the health of your teeth and the health of your entire body. Your mouth is the only way to put things into your body, so it makes sense that the health of your mouth would be so important to the rest of you!

Presence of gum disease has been linked to:

Increased risk of heart disease due to the inflammatory nature of gum disease
Increased risk for Infective Endocarditis if infection reaches the bloodstream
Stroke patients who were tested for periodontal disease overwhelmingly came up positive
Because diabetes increases infection risks diabetic patients are at increased risk for gum disease
Osteoporosis, or weakening of the bones, has been connected to bone loss in the jaw. Jaw bone loss occurs due to teeth lost to periodontal disease.
Bacteria in the mouth can actually end up in the lungs, leading to chest infections and long-term health problems.
increased cancer risks

Avoid This Costly Future!

Gum disease is very common, but do you know the worst part? The vast majority of cases can be prevented through good home care habits and regular professional dental care! At our Carmel office we are avid proponents of proactive, protective dental care that includes cleanings and exams and other preventive techniques.

The choice is yours: take action now to keep your whole body healthy or react to gum disease when it’s already too late. Make the right choice and call Really Smile Dental today at 317-451-4050 or request an appointment using our online form. We look forward to helping you!

Use Dental Care to Improve Your Heart Health

By on July 24, 2015

Here at Really Smile, we believe that everything is connected in one way or another. This is especially true in your body. If you think about it (or study it), you’ll find that your systems are all connected. When one system suffers, they all suffer.

It should be no surprise, then, to find out that when your oral health is less than par, your overall systemic health will suffer as well. In the case of gum disease, your systemic health can suffer life-threatening changes.

Our office in Carmel, IN, is doing what we can to help our patients work towards a healthier lifestyle. We begin with oral health. There has been a lot of research done lately to learn more about the relationships between gum disease and various life-altering conditions. Scientists are still trying to define the actual relationship, but we know that gum health plays an important role in the health of the rest of your body.

The Prevalence of Gum Disease

Gum disease is particularly frightening because it is so incredibly prevalent! New research from the CDC shows that almost HALF of adults over the age of 35 have gum disease. That’s an incredible statistic, especially when you consider the impact that gum disease can have on your overall health.

Unlikely Health Connections

Scientists are still drawing connections between gum disease and the following conditions, but one thing is clear: gum disease is related to these problems!

Cancer – Gum disease has been linked to several forms of cancer, but pancreatic cancer is especially interesting. A recent study claimed that men who had gum disease were 64% more likely to develop pancreatic cancer.

Heart Disease – Bacteria associated with gum disease has been known to enter the bloodstream and cause clots to form. The bacteria sticks to blood platelets and then moves through the body. Once the clot reaches the chest, it is easy for it to cause heart disease.

Alzheimer’s Disease – Bacteria associated with gum disease has been discovered in the brains of people with Alzheimer’s disease, which leads scientists to believe that there could be a connection.

Diabetes – Gum disease makes it very difficult to control your diabetes, and diabetes makes it difficult for the body to fight off gum disease infections. These two conditions spiral into quite a difficult situation for you!

Our Healthy Heart Program

As a way of better caring for our patients, we have begun a Healthy Heart program that allows us to help you have great oral and overall health. The Healthy Heart program has many different pieces working for you, but it begins with an evaluation of your mouth, which we can share with your general practitioner, if you wish. This report will let us know the state of your gum health and how it might be affected your overall health.

Once we have this information, we can work to improve your oral health so that your overall health will also improve! Let’s take a look at some simple ways that you can help prevent gum disease. They probably won’t be a big surprise!

Great Oral Care – Healthy gums begin at home. Take care of your gums with routine flossing and brushing. If you have struggled with gum disease in the past, we might recommend a mouthrinse that will help you maintain healthy gums.

Routine Visits – Coming into the office for routine cleanings and exams is very important, especially if you are prone to gum disease infection. Depending on your gum health, we might ask you to come in more often than the traditional 6 month visit so that we can stay on top of your gum health.

Treating Issues Quickly – At the first sign of trouble, we need to act. Most of the detrimental health concerns occur in connection with advanced gum disease. If we can keep your infection to a mild case, you are more likely to enjoy a healthy body.

Get Your Healthy Heart Today

It’s time to start thinking about your overall health and how it relates to your oral health. If brushing and flossing twice each day can prevent you from having cancer, heart disease, or another serious health concern, isn’t it worth it? Contact us today to learn more about how the body is affected by bacteria in your mouth. Set up your next appointment so we can make sure your gums stay healthy and strong!

Healthy Heart Dentistry: How Gum Disease Affects the Heart

By on February 17, 2015

As we have been mentioning again and again, Really Smile has offerings that no other dental office in Carmel or the Indianapolis area can imagine! We want to take some time today to talk about something other than your teeth.

Today we want to talk about your heart. That’s right, we said your HEART. Heart disease is still the number one killer among men AND women in the United States.

While we said that we were going to talk about something other than your teeth today, you should know that the health of your mouth is directly linked to the health of your heart. We call it a connection between oral health and systemic health.

Research Connects Oral Health to Systemic Health

This connection has long been in play. We have known for decades that there was a connection, but outlining the specifics of that connection has been difficult to do. We know that the main factor is that of gum disease.

Gum disease is linked to systemic health, particularly the health of your cardiovascular system. Until recently, we didn’t understand much at all, but new research shows a possible reason behind this connection.

Research on Heart Disease
Research seems to have had a breakthrough in the connection between gum disease and heart disease. We now believe that when your gums bleed, the bacteria from your gum disease is able to work its way into the bloodstream.

Once there, the bacteria begins sticking to blood platelets and joining them together until clots form. As clots move through your system, they bring about havoc and can actually lead to a heart attack.

A heart attack.

Can you sense our urgency? Do you feel the importance of this topic? We hope so!

Keeping a Healthy Heart is About More Than Diet and Exercise

Diet and exercise are at the TOP of the list for maintaining a healthy heart, and they should not be moved, but there is one more thing that needs to be added to the list: oral health. You MUST keep your gums healthy!

Taking a Whole-Body Approach

We believe that the body is one unit and should be treated as such. There are so many systems and moving parts, but they all work together. If there is a problem in one area, chances are pretty great that it is connected to a problem in another area. This principle definitely applies to oral health and heart disease!

Caring for Your Teeth

Caring for your teeth is something you can do beginning right now. You can improve your hygiene habits and get your smile back in shape.

If things are out of control, you can come to us for help. You need to schedule an exam and cleaning anyway, so why not come see us to see how we can help you get a healthier smile!

Contact us today to set up an appointment or exam. We would love to see you very soon to give you the best care possible! Here’s to your heart!

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