February is Heart Health Month. Let’s celebrate by learning more about heart attack and stroke prevention.
Did you know that visiting an oral care specialist is a great place to start?
Gum disease affects 80% of Americans over the age of 35. It is caused by pathogenic bacteria in your mouth that resides in the pockets around your teeth and infects the bone and gum tissue. But these oral pathogens don’t stop there. They enter your bloodstream through simple, everyday actions such as brushing your teeth or chewing your food. Once in the bloodstream they travel throughout your body causing inflammation. Chronic inflammation leads to disease. Your cardiovascular health is not exempt from this process! In fact, up to 50% of heart attacks and strokes are triggered by oral bacteria that live in your mouth.
We’re all aware of the more common risks to cardiovascular health, but did you know that heart disease represents itself differently in men and women? Both men and women have the same amount of heart attack risk, yet women are more likely to die from heart attacks. Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death for women in the United States. Every year, stroke and heart disease cause one in three deaths among women each year. These deaths amount to about one woman every minute. If you are a woman over 40 years old, your chance of dying of heart disease is one out of two. And 64% of women who die of a cardiovascular event didn't even know they had plaque in their artery wall.
Top risk factors of heart disease for women:
Inactivity
Depression and mental stress
Menopause
Gum disease
These particular factors affect women disproportionately to men:
Smoking
Diabetes
Family history of heart disease
The good news: cardiovascular disease is reversible!
If you could know with 98.6% accuracy that you were going to have a heart attack, would you want to know?
Given the facts above, who wouldn’t? Our Carotid Intima-Media Thickness Test (CIMT) is only $199 for the month of February. With this 20 minute, non-invasive ultrasound, we can determine whether or not your arteries are aging faster due to inflammation. We can identify soft plaque, find the root causes, and create a plan to reverse it. This test is also radiation free and approved by The American Health Association over 20 years ago as safe, reliable, and repeatable.
Could oral systemic healthcare lower heart disease?
Your mouth is a window to the rest of your body. At Complete Health Dentistry of Columbus, we don't just clean your teeth. We provide an opportunity for lifelong health. Our goal is to enhance the quality of life for every patient we meet. Personalized healthcare creates a path to wellness. Contact us today to start your wellness journey.
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