Most people often underestimate swollen gums until they eventually trigger severe toothache. In addition to making you have trouble speaking and chewing food, toothache can basically affect a person's overall health condition. Even a study shows that if you start from a toothache, someone can get various complications of the disease that endanger the body, including the risk of stroke.
What kind of toothache can cause a stroke?
Based on the results of research from a number of countries such as Germany, France, Sweden, India and Korea, some gum diseases are indeed related to stroke. The following are some gum diseases that are known to cause strokes.
- Mild gum disease, often called gingivitis or inflammation of the gums. A recent study from Sweden conducted a study of more than a thousand people to find out the association of gum disease with stroke. As a result, researchers reported that gingivitis was clearly associated with stroke.
- Serious gum disease, often called periodontitis, causes severe damage to the gums.
- Severe periodontitis can cause tooth decay which can eventually lead to toothless teeth. Toothless teeth are a sign of a silent stroke. Silent strokes are strokes unknown to people (veiled) because they do not show clear signs. As a result, many people ignore it. However, over time the covert stroke can cause limitations such as dementia.
Other studies also show that people with gum disease ranging from mild to severe levels have a greater risk of stroke than people who do not have gum disease.
How can toothache cause a stroke?
Various dental problems such as those that have been explained generally begin with gum disease. Gum disease starts from the presence of plaque in the teeth that has never been cleaned. Then gradually the plaques will develop into tartar, until finally gum inflammation occurs.
Now, when the gums are inflamed, there is a way in which germs enter the human body. Bacteria that carry various diseases can eventually enter the blood vessels and cause blockages.
This blockage of blood vessels that occurs in the brain then triggers a stroke. Not only strokes, blockages of blood vessels can also cause a person to experience heart disease. However, it really depends on where the blockage is located.
Because bacteria in the mouth and teeth are located closer to the brain, toothache is very risky to cause blockage of blood vessels in the brain.
What kind of stroke is caused by toothache?
One German study published in the journal Stroke reported that people who suffer from gum disease are more susceptible to ischemic stroke. Ischemic stroke is a type of stroke that occurs when a blood vessel that supplies blood to the area of the brain is blocked by a blood clot. Ischemic stroke is responsible for 87 percent of total stroke cases.
How to treat teeth to avoid the risk of stroke?
One of the biggest reasons why people don't take care of their teeth is cost concerns. In fact, dental care can be prevented by a simple method. Some simple ways that can be done include:
- Brush your teeth at least twice a day (when you wake up in the morning and before bed) with toothpaste containing fluoride.
- Don't brush your teeth too hard. This not only can cause the gums to tear, but also erode the relatively thin tooth enamel. As a result, your teeth become more sensitive.
- Flossing teeth with thread at least once a day.
- Avoid eating sweet foods. No need to stop consuming sugar at all to maintain healthy teeth and mouth. You only need to limit your consumption.
- Quit smoking.
- Diligent to the dentist at least once every six months.