How Cholesterol Affects Your Dental Health?

Posted on 9/7/2020 by Beautiful Smiles Office

Would you be surprised to know that your dental health is connected to the body's overall health? This is especially true regarding your heart. A diagnosis of high cholesterol has a bigger impact on your oral health than many people realize.

What is Cholesterol?

Cholesterol is found in the bloodstream. It is a waxy substance that is important in the creation of healthy cells. However, if you have been diagnosed with high cholesterol this means your blood has a high fat content. This can put patients at an increased risk of heart disease and can cause deposits to start to form in the blood vessels.

High cholesterol can be treated with a variety of medications. These can also affect your oral health. While it may lower your cholesterol, it can also be damaging your teeth. The medications are known as statins which can lead to a condition known as calcification to the interior of the tooth known as pulp. If a patient has this condition root canal procedures become nearly impossible. This would mean in most cases, if a serious condition occurs within the tooth, it will not be able to be saved.

Statins have also been linked to something called rhabdomyolysis, which is a muscle condition which can be life-threatening. It can cause kidney and liver damage as well as muscle pain, all of which would have to be taken into consideration when treating the patient.

High Cholesterol Concerns

When high cholesterol leads to cardiovascular conditions such as heart disease, there are typically other underlying problems. Oral health is connected to heart disease by the spread of harmful bacteria found in the mouth by the bloodstream. These dangerous bacteria can attach to the damaged parts of the heart which can then in turn infect the heart lining.

It is important to let our office know if you have been diagnosed with high cholesterol so we can take the appropriate steps in your dental treatment.

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Beautiful Smiles
James Yang, DDS
255 W Court St., Suite E Woodland,
CA 95695-2986

phone: (530) 206-9211
fax: 530-302-0174

Beautiful Smiles | beautifulsmileworks.com | (530) 206-9211
255 W Court St., Suite E , Woodland, CA 95695-2986

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