Gum Disease Can Lead To ED…

Gum disease is a pretty common thing, with more than one billion cases worldwide…

Gum health is a big issue for a lot of Canadians. According to a 2023 study commissioned by Colgate-Palmolive, 65% of Canadians have seen blood in the sink after brushing their teeth – which may be a sign of early gum disease. Gum disease has a number of risk factors and can affect overall health.

Gum disease itself is caused by a build-up of plaque on the teeth, with symptoms including red, swollen and sore gums, as well as bleeding.

THINGS THAT CAN HAPPEN WITH GUM DISEASE

The build-up irritates your gums and can lead to bad breath and a bad taste in the mouth, your gums shrinking or your teeth becoming loose or falling out…

Poor oral hygiene can result in mouth issues such as plaque build-up, mouth sores, gingivitis, halitosis and eventually loss of teeth, but is also associated with other chronic diseases such as diabetes and heart disease which can trigger problems with sexual health.’

These are the specific sexual health issues you may be shocked to learn can be triggered by gum disease.

Gum disease and erectile dysfunction

If gum disease is left untreated, there’s a chance it could lead to erectile dysfunction.  

Gum disease can lead to deep infections causing a loss of tissue and bone, which can also bring about chronic inflammation that damages your endothelial cells.

This forms the lining of blood vessels, which includes the blood vessels in the penis. When these cells are damaged, it can result in impaired blood flow throughout the body, leading to erectile dysfunction.

Several studies have found a positive association between erectile dysfunction, and chronic gum disease, which is also known as periodontitis. 

While the results don’t mean gum disease causes ED, they do show that men who have been diagnosed with gum disease tend to have ED more often than men without gum disease.