Oral infection dey cause heart disorder?
Poor oral hygiene fit happen if you nor dey brush your teeth well or noe dey brush am enough. Dis one go come lead to accumulation of ‘plaque’, the white or yellowish substance wen you dey see wen you scrape the tooth surface.
Dental plaque na the habitat for hundreds of bacteria wen get the potential to cause infection. Plaque wen remain for teeth, over time, dey cause infection of the gums. Ignorance of oral hygiene go further lead to the progression of infection wen go worsen the health of your gums.
Common signs of gum diseases na:
Bleeding gums
Dull pain or swelling in the gums
Bad breath
Loose tooth
Disease wen dey cause bacteria fit travel from the gums go oda parts of the body through blood wen dey circulate.
The bacteria go travel go the heart and settle for the heart valves. Once e dey d heart valve, bacteria go begin grow and cause sickness wen dem dey call endocarditis.
Because blood from the heart dey reach every part of the body, bacteria for the heart fit dey carried to different parts of the body.
For some cases, the bacteria go dey carried to d brain and e go cause stroke!
Oda pple with infected heart valves go develop bacterial infection with pus collection (abscesses) for places like the liver, lungs, joints, and spine.
Who dey at risk for heart valve infection (endocarditis)?
Some people dey born with heart valves (bicuspid aortic valve) wen dey make am easy for bacteria to take hold. The presence of artificial material like artificial heart valve e go also facilitate d accumulation and growth of bacteria for dat area.
Wetin be the treatment?
Treatment of heart disease dey complex and for cases where infection of the valve dey, the life of the person dey at a great risk. Treatment of heart valve infection go involve administration of high doses of antibiotics for vein for many weeks. Some people go require surgery to remove the infected heart valve. so therefore, prevention na the key, and e start with good dental health.
Prevention of gum diseases
If you maintain good oral hygiene with toothbrushing and oda oral hygiene e go help to avoid gum diseases. The American Dental Association don recommend say make we:
Brush two times daily for two minutes with fluoride toothpaste.
Clean the space between your teeth with floss or interdental brushes wen dentist recommend
Visit your dentist regularly to prevent oral diseases
Maintain healthy and balanced diet with less sugar intake
Use mouthwashes as your dentist recommend
People wen get artificial heart valves need to take antibiotic before dem do dental procedures (prophylaxis) to prevent infection of their artificial heart valve.
Take Home Message: Many people dey ignore Oral hygiene . Because poor oral hygiene fit lead to heart valve infection (endocarditis), E dey essential to start good oral hygiene practices to maintain healthy oral cavity. No eva ignore oral problems, and visit your dentist when e dey necessary.
