Tooth decay and gum disease can lead to serious health problems, including brain or heart infections. A growing number of older adults have something to smile about: research shows they’re keeping their teeth longer.

Poor oral health may interfere with blood pressure control in people diagnosed with hypertension. Periodontal disease — a condition marked by gum infection, gum inflammation and tooth damage — appears to worsen blood pressure and interferes with hypertension treatment.

A new study finds that severe gum disease may make an otherwise healthy person significantly more likely to develop high blood pressure.

For me, it’s been one of the more surprising observations in recent years: study after study has shown that people who have poor oral health (such as gum disease or tooth loss) have higher rates of cardiovascular problems such as heart attack or stroke than people with good oral health.

Bacteria and toxins from your mouth can spread to your heart and the rest of your body through the blood stream and may contribute to inflammation in your blood vessels. Research also shows that gum disease and heart disease share risk factors such as smoking.

Periodontitis happens when your body tries to fight the growth of bacterial overgrowth that occurs because of cavities. Left unchecked, the infection can get into your bloodstream and travel to your heart.

A tooth infection will not go away on its own. Your toothache may stop if an infection causes the pulp inside your tooth to die.

Treatment

1. Open up (incise) and drain the abscess. The dentist will make a small cut into the abscess, allowing the pus to drain out, and then wash the area with salt water (saline).
2. Perform a root canal. This can help eliminate the infection and save your tooth.
3. Pull the affected tooth.
4. Prescribe antibiotics.

Having an untreated tooth infection can actually increase your risk for heart disease by nearly three times. The same way the inflammation can cause issues with the blood vessels leading to your heart, it can also cause issues with the blood pathways to your brain, leading to a stroke.

When you are suffering from a tooth infection, you may want an easy solution, such as a course of antibiotics. However, antibiotics won’t cure your tooth infection. Oral bacterial infections cause abscesses, which are small pockets of pus and dead tissue in the mouth.