Myth No.4

Myth No.4 - Oral Health Doesn't Affect Overall health !
Fact - When the gums are infected, bacterial by-products can enter the blood stream and travel to major organs causing other problems. Research suggests that this may contribute to a number of undesirable conditions including heart diseases such as rheumatic fever and creating life threatening infections in previously damaged heart valves. What's more, scientists believe the resulting inflammation releases infection-fighting compounds that can inadvertently damage
other tissues. The arteries may be the most common target. People with periodontitis were twice as likely to die from a heart attack and three times as likely to die from a stroke according to a study that examined 18 years of medical histories.
Pregnant women with serious periodontal disease have about four times the risk of delievering preterm babies , and they face an increased risk of preeclampsia, in which blood pressure climbs sky-high after the 20th week, threatening the lives of both mother and foetus. Researchers found treating seriously infected gums reduces preterm births five folds. In pregnant women , even the mildest form of periodontitis can flare up and become a big problem later on.