{"id":124,"date":"2019-02-05T19:53:40","date_gmt":"2019-02-05T19:53:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.esparzafamilydentistry.com\/blog\/?p=124"},"modified":"2019-03-05T19:58:34","modified_gmt":"2019-03-05T19:58:34","slug":"a-dentist-in-virginia-beach-explains-the-link-between-heart-and-gum-health","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.esparzafamilydentistry.com\/blog\/a-dentist-in-virginia-beach-explains-the-link-between-heart-and-gum-health\/","title":{"rendered":"A Dentist in Virginia Beach Explains the Link Between Heart and Gum Health"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"alignleft is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.esparzafamilydentistry.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/red_and_swollen_gums__1549051630_99427.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-126\" width=\"269\" height=\"179\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.esparzafamilydentistry.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/red_and_swollen_gums__1549051630_99427.jpg 800w, https:\/\/www.esparzafamilydentistry.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/red_and_swollen_gums__1549051630_99427-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.esparzafamilydentistry.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/red_and_swollen_gums__1549051630_99427-768x513.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 269px) 100vw, 269px\" \/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>What do you think is the leading cause of tooth loss in America? Sorry, but if you said traumatic injury, you\u2019re incorrect. The worst culprit is gum disease. What could be worse than tooth loss? Unfortunately, scientific research shows that there is a link between gum disease and the health of your heart. If you\u2019ve been diagnosed with gum disease, then you should see a dentist in Virginia Beach. February is American Heart Health Month, so now is the perfect time to take care of your heart and, of course, your smile.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<!--more-->\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What is Gum Disease?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Gum or periodontal disease is a bacterial infection that inflames gum tissue and could eventually cause receding gums. From there, bacteria begin to destroy the bone structure that holds your teeth in place. As the bone is destroyed, tooth loss becomes more likely.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What is Heart Disease?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Heart disease refers to a group of conditions ranging from heart attack to stroke. Blocked or narrowed blood vessels are the root cause of heart disease.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">How are Gum and Heart Disease Connected?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Scientists, dentists and physicians now understand that the condition of your mouth can impact the health of your heart and the rest of your body, too. They\u2019ve even given it a specific name: the oral-systemic connection.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As concerns heart health, studies show how disease-causing bacteria in your mouth can migrate and enter your bloodstream. Once there, the bacteria might attach to the wall of vessels. As this happens, there is an increased risk that blood clots will develop. These clots could decrease blood flow, increase blood pressure and eventually lead to a heart attack.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">How Can a Dentist Help?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>At dental checkups, you\u2019ll have a thorough teeth cleaning to remove bacterial plaque and tartar that lead to periodontal disease. Plaque and tartar accumulate between teeth and along the gum line. If not removed with daily brushing and flossing, bacteria can attack tissue below the gum line. Consequently, gum disease develops and your heart health may be in jeopardy, as well.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>To prevent gum disease and protect your heart health, too, be sure to brush and floss your teeth at least twice a day. In addition,\u00a0<a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\" (opens in a new tab)\" href=\"https:\/\/www.esparzafamilydentistry.com\/preventive-dentistry.html\" target=\"_blank\">six-month checkups<\/a>with a dentist in Virginia Beach are essential. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.esparzafamilydentistry.com\/contact-us.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\"Call today (opens in a new tab)\">Call today<\/a> to schedule an appointment.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Meet the Dentist<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Dr. Sarah Esparza is a dentist providing quality care for people in and around Virginia Beach. She believes in patient education, which is why she wants you to know about the connection between your gums and your heart. She currently runs Esparza Family Dentistry, and she can be contacted through her\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.esparzafamilydentistry.com\/contact-us.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\" (opens in a new tab)\">website<\/a>\u00a0or by phone at (757) 600-6033 for any questions.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>What do you think is the leading cause of tooth loss in America? Sorry, but if you said traumatic injury, you\u2019re incorrect. The worst culprit is gum disease. What could be worse than tooth loss? Unfortunately, scientific research shows that there is a link between gum disease and the health of your heart. If you\u2019ve [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-124","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v22.6 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>A Dentist in Virginia Beach Explains the Link Between Heart and Gum Health - Esparza Family Dentistry<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"A dentist in Virginia Beach know that keeping your gums healthy means you\u2019re more likely to have a healthy heart, too.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.esparzafamilydentistry.com\/blog\/a-dentist-in-virginia-beach-explains-the-link-between-heart-and-gum-health\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"A Dentist in Virginia Beach Explains the Link Between Heart and Gum Health - Esparza Family Dentistry\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"A dentist in Virginia Beach know that keeping your gums healthy means you\u2019re more likely to have a healthy heart, too.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.esparzafamilydentistry.com\/blog\/a-dentist-in-virginia-beach-explains-the-link-between-heart-and-gum-health\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Esparza Family Dentistry\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2019-02-05T19:53:40+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2019-03-05T19:58:34+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.esparzafamilydentistry.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/red_and_swollen_gums__1549051630_99427.jpg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"tntadmin\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"tntadmin\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"2 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.esparzafamilydentistry.com\/blog\/a-dentist-in-virginia-beach-explains-the-link-between-heart-and-gum-health\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.esparzafamilydentistry.com\/blog\/a-dentist-in-virginia-beach-explains-the-link-between-heart-and-gum-health\/\",\"name\":\"A Dentist in Virginia Beach Explains the Link Between Heart and Gum Health - Esparza Family Dentistry\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.esparzafamilydentistry.com\/blog\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.esparzafamilydentistry.com\/blog\/a-dentist-in-virginia-beach-explains-the-link-between-heart-and-gum-health\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.esparzafamilydentistry.com\/blog\/a-dentist-in-virginia-beach-explains-the-link-between-heart-and-gum-health\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.esparzafamilydentistry.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/red_and_swollen_gums__1549051630_99427.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2019-02-05T19:53:40+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2019-03-05T19:58:34+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.esparzafamilydentistry.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/48faf7c4d63b24bbf09298ea3e469bac\"},\"description\":\"A dentist in Virginia Beach know that keeping your gums healthy means you\u2019re more likely to have a healthy heart, too.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.esparzafamilydentistry.com\/blog\/a-dentist-in-virginia-beach-explains-the-link-between-heart-and-gum-health\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.esparzafamilydentistry.com\/blog\/a-dentist-in-virginia-beach-explains-the-link-between-heart-and-gum-health\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.esparzafamilydentistry.com\/blog\/a-dentist-in-virginia-beach-explains-the-link-between-heart-and-gum-health\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.esparzafamilydentistry.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/red_and_swollen_gums__1549051630_99427.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.esparzafamilydentistry.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/red_and_swollen_gums__1549051630_99427.jpg\",\"width\":800,\"height\":534},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.esparzafamilydentistry.com\/blog\/a-dentist-in-virginia-beach-explains-the-link-between-heart-and-gum-health\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/www.esparzafamilydentistry.com\/blog\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"A Dentist in Virginia Beach Explains the Link Between Heart and Gum Health\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.esparzafamilydentistry.com\/blog\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.esparzafamilydentistry.com\/blog\/\",\"name\":\"Esparza Family Dentistry\",\"description\":\"\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/www.esparzafamilydentistry.com\/blog\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":\"required name=search_term_string\"}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.esparzafamilydentistry.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/48faf7c4d63b24bbf09298ea3e469bac\",\"name\":\"tntadmin\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.esparzafamilydentistry.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/6f4095f8e72e2e24d12fb83b32d96ddbfc81953fbaa486bd4787fda201af2c1c?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/6f4095f8e72e2e24d12fb83b32d96ddbfc81953fbaa486bd4787fda201af2c1c?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"tntadmin\"},\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.esparzafamilydentistry.com\/blog\/author\/tntadmin\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"A Dentist in Virginia Beach Explains the Link Between Heart and Gum Health - Esparza Family Dentistry","description":"A dentist in Virginia Beach know that keeping your gums healthy means you\u2019re more likely to have a healthy heart, too.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.esparzafamilydentistry.com\/blog\/a-dentist-in-virginia-beach-explains-the-link-between-heart-and-gum-health\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"A Dentist in Virginia Beach Explains the Link Between Heart and Gum Health - Esparza Family Dentistry","og_description":"A dentist in Virginia Beach know that keeping your gums healthy means you\u2019re more likely to have a healthy heart, too.","og_url":"https:\/\/www.esparzafamilydentistry.com\/blog\/a-dentist-in-virginia-beach-explains-the-link-between-heart-and-gum-health\/","og_site_name":"Esparza Family Dentistry","article_published_time":"2019-02-05T19:53:40+00:00","article_modified_time":"2019-03-05T19:58:34+00:00","og_image":[{"url":"https:\/\/www.esparzafamilydentistry.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/red_and_swollen_gums__1549051630_99427.jpg"}],"author":"tntadmin","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"tntadmin","Est. reading time":"2 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.esparzafamilydentistry.com\/blog\/a-dentist-in-virginia-beach-explains-the-link-between-heart-and-gum-health\/","url":"https:\/\/www.esparzafamilydentistry.com\/blog\/a-dentist-in-virginia-beach-explains-the-link-between-heart-and-gum-health\/","name":"A Dentist in Virginia Beach Explains the Link Between Heart and Gum Health - Esparza Family Dentistry","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.esparzafamilydentistry.com\/blog\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.esparzafamilydentistry.com\/blog\/a-dentist-in-virginia-beach-explains-the-link-between-heart-and-gum-health\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.esparzafamilydentistry.com\/blog\/a-dentist-in-virginia-beach-explains-the-link-between-heart-and-gum-health\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.esparzafamilydentistry.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/red_and_swollen_gums__1549051630_99427.jpg","datePublished":"2019-02-05T19:53:40+00:00","dateModified":"2019-03-05T19:58:34+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.esparzafamilydentistry.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/48faf7c4d63b24bbf09298ea3e469bac"},"description":"A dentist in Virginia Beach know that keeping your gums healthy means you\u2019re more likely to have a healthy heart, too.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.esparzafamilydentistry.com\/blog\/a-dentist-in-virginia-beach-explains-the-link-between-heart-and-gum-health\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.esparzafamilydentistry.com\/blog\/a-dentist-in-virginia-beach-explains-the-link-between-heart-and-gum-health\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.esparzafamilydentistry.com\/blog\/a-dentist-in-virginia-beach-explains-the-link-between-heart-and-gum-health\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/www.esparzafamilydentistry.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/red_and_swollen_gums__1549051630_99427.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.esparzafamilydentistry.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/red_and_swollen_gums__1549051630_99427.jpg","width":800,"height":534},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.esparzafamilydentistry.com\/blog\/a-dentist-in-virginia-beach-explains-the-link-between-heart-and-gum-health\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/www.esparzafamilydentistry.com\/blog\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"A Dentist in Virginia Beach Explains the Link Between Heart and Gum Health"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.esparzafamilydentistry.com\/blog\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.esparzafamilydentistry.com\/blog\/","name":"Esparza Family Dentistry","description":"","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.esparzafamilydentistry.com\/blog\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":"required name=search_term_string"}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.esparzafamilydentistry.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/48faf7c4d63b24bbf09298ea3e469bac","name":"tntadmin","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.esparzafamilydentistry.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/6f4095f8e72e2e24d12fb83b32d96ddbfc81953fbaa486bd4787fda201af2c1c?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/6f4095f8e72e2e24d12fb83b32d96ddbfc81953fbaa486bd4787fda201af2c1c?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"tntadmin"},"url":"https:\/\/www.esparzafamilydentistry.com\/blog\/author\/tntadmin\/"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.esparzafamilydentistry.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/124","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.esparzafamilydentistry.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.esparzafamilydentistry.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.esparzafamilydentistry.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.esparzafamilydentistry.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=124"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.esparzafamilydentistry.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/124\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":128,"href":"https:\/\/www.esparzafamilydentistry.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/124\/revisions\/128"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.esparzafamilydentistry.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=124"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.esparzafamilydentistry.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=124"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.esparzafamilydentistry.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=124"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}