A busy emergency dentist explains other risks associated with dental emergencies

According to dentists just a week of compromised oral health can have a devastating effect on not just your teeth but one your overall health and wellbeing as well. There are several dental issues that affect our overall physical health and even pose a threat to it. People have already carried out a lot of studies. These studies show how dental emergencies are related to systematic diseases like blood sugar and heart disease. Considering the results of the researches it is even more important to maintain sound oral hygiene without any break. There are lots of diseases that start from your mouth and then progress to affect the entire body.

In the following sections let us explore certain dental issues and emergencies pose a risk to your general health and wellbeing.

Tooth abscess

A tooth or dental abscess is definitely a dental emergency. The condition can be very painful. The pain can be so severe to affect not only the tooth but also the jaw, the front of the ear and the neck. This dental condition is caused by harmful bacteria. These bacteria manage to get into the pulp of the affected tooth through a tooth cavity. As the infection progresses the root of the tooth gets affected. A tooth abscess must be treated in the initial stages to avoid unnecessary pain and suffering. In extreme cases the condition may even be life threatening for a patient.

As the infection progresses an abscess gets larger in size. The resultant swelling spreads to the neck and the face. In easier words the condition leads to an intense localised infection. At this stage an abscess has to be drained fast. Else it may completely block the windpipe to cause difficulties in breathing. Harmful bacteria from a tooth abscess reach the jawbone. This causes an infection called osteomyelitis. The bacteria can even reach into the major blood vessels of a patient’s body. Once the harmful bacteria manage to get into the blood stream there is a generalised immune response. The condition of a patient turns critical as the body goes into sepsis.

One of the best emergency dentists in London opines sepsis is a complex medical condition and is difficult to treat. This is a way in which an untreated dental emergency poses a severe risk to a patient’s body. Severe cases of dental abscess even led to death.

Gum disease and chronic blood sugar

There is a strong connection between gum disease and blood sugar or diabetes. Gum disease also has a sinister link with heart conditions. Gum diseases like periodontitis initially compromise the teeth. If left ignored and uncured it gradually affect the jawbone and then the entire body. It also results in abnormally poor oral health immunity. As a result, combat ability to prevent diseases becomes much poor.   

For people who suffer from blood sugar the glucose level of their blood is much affected. Severe and untreated gum disease compounds with poor oral health to make a negative impact on the blood glucose level for a patient. As a result, body fails fighting off infections successfully. Periodontal disease also affects the way how our body metabolises carbohydrates. In other words, this has a negative impact on the way our body generates energy. The bacteria which are responsible for causing gum disease in patients suffering from blood sugar increase insulin resistance. As a result, blood sugar control in the body gets directly influenced. Practising sound oral hygiene methods is important to prevent this chronic health condition. However, practising sound oral hygiene should also be combined with early diagnosis and treatment of dental conditions. Only then it becomes possible to keep these health conditions at bay.

Gum diseases and their relation with heart conditions

Periodontitis is a stage of gum disease. Periodontitis combined with poor oral hygiene has strong connections with diseases of the heart. Periodontal disease is caused by certain bacteria. These bacteria manage to enter into the bloodstream through the gums. After entering into the bloodstream, the bacteria can easily reach the heart of the diseased person travelling through the major arteries of the body. These bacteria then develop infections in the heart like endocarditis. Moreover, the bacteria can also facilitate plaque build-ups in the arteries. This blocks normal flow of blood to the heart as well as the other parts of the individual’s body.

It is often seen that individuals suffering from severe and untreated periodontal diseases are more prone to heart attacks and cardiac infections like endocarditis. A renowned Emergency dentist in London explains endocarditis is an infective condition of the heart. It results in inflammation of the inner lining of the heart. Practising sound oral hygiene methods clubbed with the right dental treatments can keep you safe from developing these conditions.

Dental conditions related to lung infections

Harmful bacteria that are responsible for tooth abscesses, gum diseases and dental caries can easily travel to the lungs of a diseased person. This puts the individual in higher risks of developing infective lung diseases. Even the COVID – 19 Virus is capable to find its place in the plaque build-ups that accumulate on the gums and the teeth. Gradually it gets into the bloodstream and reaches the lungs to create complications and infections.

All these problems can be easily avoided to a large extent provided you carefully brush and floss the teeth every day and not miss your routine appointments with the dentist.

Dental diseases linked to arthritis

Gum disease is an alarming dental condition which puts a patient in the state of chronic infection. These people are more prone than the rest in developing chronic arthritis. Even progression of the disease is faster in these individuals compared to others.

Dental emergencies can also affect the brain

Gum diseases are also found to be connected to developing cerebral conditions like stroke and dementia. These conditions are aggravated by the same bacteria that are responsible for developing gum diseases like gingivitis and periodontitis.

The topics discussed above represent a clear picture of how dental emergencies and other oral health conditions affect your overall body and make you prone to develop serious conditions related to your physical health and wellbeing. According to oral health practitioners working at Emergency Dentist London Pro practising sound oral hygiene habits and regular visits to your dentist for routine checkups are the best ways to stay healthy and happy.

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