{"id":32,"date":"2021-02-25T18:50:10","date_gmt":"2021-02-25T18:50:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.northboroughdentalassociates.com\/blog\/?p=32"},"modified":"2021-02-25T18:50:10","modified_gmt":"2021-02-25T18:50:10","slug":"gum-disease-northborough-heart-health","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.northboroughdentalassociates.com\/blog\/2021\/02\/25\/gum-disease-northborough-heart-health\/","title":{"rendered":"A Healthy Heart May Start with a Healthy Smile"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"alignleft size-medium\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.northboroughdentalassociates.com\/blog\/2021\/02\/25\/gum-disease-northborough-heart-health\/\" class=\"block-image-link\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"200\" src=\"https:\/\/www.northboroughdentalassociates.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/AdobeStock_284005436__1614276005_10384-300x200.jpg\" alt=\"Man without gum disease making heart shape with hands\" class=\"wp-image-33\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.northboroughdentalassociates.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/AdobeStock_284005436__1614276005_10384-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.northboroughdentalassociates.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/AdobeStock_284005436__1614276005_10384-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.northboroughdentalassociates.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/AdobeStock_284005436__1614276005_10384.jpg 800w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>February is American Heart Month, which means that countless people are thinking about what they can do to improve their cardiovascular health. Diet and exercise may be at the center of their attention. But did you know that your oral health can also have an effect on your heart? In this article, we will discuss the troubling link between gum disease in Northborough and heart health problems. We will also provide some tips to help you improve your overall wellness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<!--more-->\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The Link Between Gum Disease and Heart Problems<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Numerous studies have been conducted to examine the link between heart problems and gum disease. While results vary slightly from study to study, researchers have consistently found that gum disease is correlated with an elevated risk of heart problems, such as atherosclerosis (fatty deposits in the arteries) and heart attack.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>What is the reason behind the association between gum disease and heart health issues? More research is necessary before scientists can say anything with certainty, but there are a few possible explanations:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li><strong>Bacteria. <\/strong>The bacteria that cause gum disease can get into the bloodstream and affect other bodily systems. Scientists have even found oral bacteria in the fatty deposits of people with atherosclerosis.<\/li><li><strong>Inflammation.<\/strong> Gum disease increases the body\u2019s overall burden of inflammation, and inflammation can contribute to many health problems, including heart conditions.<\/li><li><strong>Common risk factors.<\/strong> Gum disease and heart disease have some common risk factors, such as smoking and poor dietary choices, that can contribute to both conditions simultaneously.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What You Can Do<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>There are some practical steps that you can take during Heart Health Month (and well into the future) that may prove beneficial for both your oral health and your cardiovascular wellness:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li><strong>Know the signs and symptoms of gum disease. <\/strong>Swollen gums that bleed easily when you brush are one of the most recognizable signs of gum disease. If your gums do not feel healthy, you should seek treatment right away.<\/li><li><strong>Visit your dentist for <a href=\"https:\/\/www.northboroughdentalassociates.com\/preventive-dentistry.html\">preventive care<\/a>.<\/strong> Regular checkups and cleanings (once every six months or so) can do much to rid the mouth of harmful bacteria and lower your risk of gum disease.<\/li><li><strong>Stick to excellent oral hygiene habits. <\/strong>Thorough brushing and flossing help to prevent disease-causing bacteria from accumulating in the mouth.<\/li><li><strong>Battle bad habits.<\/strong> If you smoke, every effort you make to kick the habit will be worth it. You should also evaluate your dietary choices; eating a lot of sugar or saturated fats is bad for your overall health.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death in the U.S. Fortunately, there are practical things you can do \u2014 including caring for your gums \u2014 that can help you to protect your precious heart.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Meet the Practice<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The four dentists at Northborough Dental Associates have decades of combined experience, and they are proud to put their expertise to work for their patients. They offer services that are designed to both prevent and treat gum disease. If you are concerned about your gum health, our team would be pleased to help you. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.northboroughdentalassociates.com\/contact-us.html\">Contact us<\/a> at 508-466-7091.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"February is American Heart Month, which means that countless people are thinking about what they can do to improve their cardiovascular health. Diet and exercise may be at the center of their attention. But did you know that your oral health can also have an effect on your heart? In this article, we will discuss the troubling link between gum disease in Northborough and heart health problems. We will also provide some tips to help you improve your overall wellness. <a class=\"read-more\" href=\"https:\/\/www.northboroughdentalassociates.com\/blog\/2021\/02\/25\/gum-disease-northborough-heart-health\/\">(Read More)<\/a>","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-32","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.3 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>A Healthy Heart May Start with a Healthy Smile<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Gum disease in Northborough is associated with an elevated risk of cardiovascular health problems. 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Learn how to protect both your smile and your heart.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.northboroughdentalassociates.com\/blog\/2021\/02\/25\/gum-disease-northborough-heart-health\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Northborough Dental Associates Blog\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2021-02-25T18:50:10+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.northboroughdentalassociates.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/AdobeStock_284005436__1614276005_10384-300x200.jpg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"northborough\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"northborough\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"3 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.northboroughdentalassociates.com\\\/blog\\\/2021\\\/02\\\/25\\\/gum-disease-northborough-heart-health\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.northboroughdentalassociates.com\\\/blog\\\/2021\\\/02\\\/25\\\/gum-disease-northborough-heart-health\\\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"northborough\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.northboroughdentalassociates.com\\\/blog\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/f9c5531d94bd870d8fc37ef28e5ceeba\"},\"headline\":\"A Healthy Heart May Start with a Healthy Smile\",\"datePublished\":\"2021-02-25T18:50:10+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.northboroughdentalassociates.com\\\/blog\\\/2021\\\/02\\\/25\\\/gum-disease-northborough-heart-health\\\/\"},\"wordCount\":521,\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.northboroughdentalassociates.com\\\/blog\\\/2021\\\/02\\\/25\\\/gum-disease-northborough-heart-health\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.northboroughdentalassociates.com\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2021\\\/02\\\/AdobeStock_284005436__1614276005_10384-300x200.jpg\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.northboroughdentalassociates.com\\\/blog\\\/2021\\\/02\\\/25\\\/gum-disease-northborough-heart-health\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.northboroughdentalassociates.com\\\/blog\\\/2021\\\/02\\\/25\\\/gum-disease-northborough-heart-health\\\/\",\"name\":\"A Healthy Heart May Start with a Healthy Smile\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.northboroughdentalassociates.com\\\/blog\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.northboroughdentalassociates.com\\\/blog\\\/2021\\\/02\\\/25\\\/gum-disease-northborough-heart-health\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.northboroughdentalassociates.com\\\/blog\\\/2021\\\/02\\\/25\\\/gum-disease-northborough-heart-health\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.northboroughdentalassociates.com\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2021\\\/02\\\/AdobeStock_284005436__1614276005_10384-300x200.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2021-02-25T18:50:10+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.northboroughdentalassociates.com\\\/blog\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/f9c5531d94bd870d8fc37ef28e5ceeba\"},\"description\":\"Gum disease in Northborough is associated with an elevated risk of cardiovascular health problems. 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