The short answer: the link between your mouth and the rest of your body runs mostly through your gums. The best-established connection is with diabetes, which works in both directions. Gum disease is also associated with heart disease, pregnancy complications and chest infections, though researchers are still working out how much is cause and how much is shared risk. The good news is that healthy gums are simple to keep.
Gum disease is a long-running inflammation of the tissue around the teeth. Inflamed gums bleed easily, which gives bacteria and inflammatory signals a route into the bloodstream. That is the main reason researchers look for effects elsewhere in the body.
People with diabetes are more likely to develop gum disease, and gum disease makes blood sugar harder to control. Treating gum disease in people with diabetes has been shown to improve blood sugar control modestly. If you have diabetes, a gum check every six months is a sensible part of your care. We cover this in detail in gum health, diabetes and your heart.
People with gum disease have higher rates of heart disease. The two share risk factors such as smoking, diabetes and age, so the link may be partly shared risk. Major heart associations have said that the association is real but that gum treatment has not been proven to prevent heart attacks. Healthy gums are worth having for their own sake either way.
Hormone changes make gums more likely to swell and bleed during pregnancy. Gum disease in pregnancy has been associated with early birth and low birth weight. Check-ups and cleanings are safe during pregnancy, and the middle three months are the most comfortable time for routine treatment. See oral health during pregnancy.
In older people who are frail, in hospital or in care, bacteria from the mouth can be breathed into the lungs. Good daily mouth care in these settings lowers the rate of pneumonia, which makes it worth helping elderly family members keep their teeth and dentures clean.
We measure the small space between each tooth and the gum, look for bleeding and tartar, and show you the results on the iTero scan. Most people need only a cleaning and a few changes at home. If deeper cleaning is needed, the gum treatment page explains the options and prices.
The first visit is a ₹500 consultation. It includes an iTero 3D scan, so you see your own teeth on screen, an explanation of what we find, and a written plan with the exact price. Call Kondapur on +91 7416 644 400 or Vizag on +91 9849 132 388, or book through the Kondapur or Vizag page.
Dr. Y. Rajesh Kumar compares dentures and implants in Vizag: dentures ₹15,000 to ₹40,000 per jaw, implants ₹35,000 to ₹88,000 per tooth, plus bridges and the middle options.
Wisdom tooth removal in Hyderabad costs ₹5,000 to ₹15,000 depending on complexity; a normal extraction is ₹2,500 to ₹3,000. When you need it out, when to leave it, and recovery.