07 Sep Can High Blood Pressure Affect Teeth?
If you’ve been diagnosed with hypertension, you’re probably taking medication to regulate your blood pressure. Although high blood pressure itself does not impact your oral health, the medication you take to control it can affect your teeth and gums.
At Saba and Romanin Dental Associates, we treat a wide range of dental problems related to medical conditions like high blood pressure and the medications used for treatment. If you have high blood pressure you might also have gum pain or tooth pain—here’s why.
How Blood Pressure Medication Affects Your Teeth and Gums
Enlarged Gums
Some calcium channel blockers used to treat high blood pressure cause gum pain from gingival hyperplasia as a side effect. Gingival hyperplasia is when the gum tissue surrounding the teeth grows abnormally and becomes enlarged. Without treatment, the gum tissue could eventually grow so much that it completely covers your teeth.
Gum overgrowth makes it difficult to eliminate plaque and bacteria with regular brushing and flossing. As plaque builds up beneath the gum line, your mouth becomes more vulnerable to tooth decay and gum disease. Gingival hyperplasia from blood pressure medication can also make your teeth hurt, and cause difficulty chewing.
Good oral hygiene can help reduce your risk of gingival hyperplasia. But if you notice that your gums seem enlarged, consult your dentist as soon as possible about your treatment options.
Dry Mouth
Hundreds of medications for different medical conditions cause dry mouth as a side effect. Some of the alpha and beta blockers used to treat hypertension and high blood pressure are among these medications.
People with dry mouth can’t make enough saliva to get rid of food particles and bacteria. The dry environment becomes a breeding ground for bacteria that can cause extensive damage to your teeth before you get the chance to brush and floss. The bacteria also attack your gums, causing the inflammation that eventually leads to gum disease.
If you suffer from dry mouth, you may need to schedule professional teeth cleanings more frequently in order to prevent tooth decay and gum disease.
The Link Between High Blood Pressure and Gum Disease
What Is Gum Disease?
When bacteria attack and inflame the gums, it can cause an infection called periodontitis, aka gum disease. It begins as gingivitis, which is silent and painless just like high blood pressure. Gingivitis causes tender, swollen gums that bleed easily. Luckily, this first stage of gum disease is reversible if it’s treated soon enough.
When gum disease goes untreated, it progresses into periodontitis, then advanced periodontitis. These advanced stages of gum disease cause irreversible and painful damage, such as receding gums, bone loss, and tooth loss. In fact, gum disease is a leading cause of tooth loss, according to the CDC.
The best way to prevent gum disease is by brushing your teeth twice a day for at least two minutes each time, flossing daily, and visiting your dentist for cleanings every six months.
Gum Disease and High Blood Pressure
A recent study has shown that advanced gum disease is linked to high blood pressure in adults who are otherwise healthy. This study found that people with gum disease were twice as likely to have high blood pressure.
Although the exact link between these two conditions is unclear, researchers found that the bacteria that damage the gums can also trigger inflammatory responses that result in higher blood pressure.
Gum disease and high blood pressure both make each other worse. For example, blood pressure medications can cause side effects that increase your risk of gum disease. According to another study, gum disease has also been shown to worsen blood pressure and interfere with its treatment.
Gum Disease Treatment in Sun Lakes, Arizona
If you have been diagnosed with high blood pressure, you may also have undiagnosed gum disease. This condition is irreversible in its later stages, and requires immediate intervention to keep the symptoms under control.
Drs. Saba and Romanin in Sun Lakes can help you preserve your beautiful smile with a range of professional services that prevent and treat gum disease. Give us a call at 480-895-2111 today to schedule an appointment for an examination.
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