Avoiding the dentist could affect your erection, not just your teeth

Ignoring dental hygiene could have surprising consequences beyond tooth decay, potentially affecting sexual health, particularly erectile dysfunction. Gum disease, a common condition affecting over a billion people worldwide, is often dismissed but can lead to serious issues if left untreated.

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Gum disease can lead to deep infections that cause tissue and bone loss, which can also lead to chronic inflammation that damages your endothelial cells. This creates the lining of your blood vessels, including the blood vessels in your penis.

Caused by plaque buildup on teeth, gum disease presents symptoms like red, swollen, and bleeding gums. Pharmacist Abbas Kanani explains that poor oral hygiene can result in bad breath, mouth sores, and even tooth loss. More alarmingly, it is linked to chronic illnesses such as diabetes and heart disease, which themselves can contribute to sexual health problems.

Specifically, untreated gum disease can lead to deep infections that cause tissue and bone loss. This can result in chronic inflammation that damages endothelial cells, which line blood vessels. This damage affects blood flow throughout the body, including to the penis, potentially leading to erectile dysfunction (ED).

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When these cells are damaged, it can result in weakened blood flow through the body, which leads to erectile dysfunction.

Research indicates a correlation between gum disease and ED. One study found that 53% of male patients with ED also had chronic gum disease, compared to 23% of men with ED who did not show periodontal problems. While this doesn't prove causation, it suggests men diagnosed with gum disease are more likely to experience ED. Periodontal disease is also an independent risk factor for cardiovascular disease, which in turn increases the risk of ED, further supporting the connection.

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Periodontal disease is classified as an independent risk factor for cardiovascular disease, and cardiovascular disease increases the risk of ED – which supports the link that periodontal disease can increase the risk of erectile dysfunction.