Is periodontal disease going to kill me?

[MarieP]

Im only 22 and have periodontal disease with noticeable pockets, ive had my treatments but have read about the risks on my heart and brain. Is my life expectancy considerably shorter now? Im terrified...

[KrazyK6463]

Those things are merely side effects that add up over the years. You are most likely not going to fall over dead because of periodontal disease. Don't worry, sweetie, people deal with these things all the time. For example, my friend deals with kidney infections all the time. Supposedly if you get too many, you could get scars on your kidneys, have kidney failure, or get a kidney disease. She lives with it though, and she sure hasn't had anything major happen. So, just relax...you are seeking treatment, so don't worry about it. The worst part about having an ailment is sitting around worrying about it. Talk to someone if you feel it's a problem, otherwise, I am pretty sure you will be just fine. Good luck!

[TheWizard9606]

Why don't you ask the right people?No-one on this site should be prepared to play God.I don't know your life expectancy,but I do know modern medicine is getting better daily.Check with a doctor.

[Pshaw]

I don't think it impacts on your life expectancy because it is not a chronic illness like hypertension and diabetes. It is really an infection. The greatest risks are eventual loss of teeth if left untreated, and possibly septicaemia which is potentially life-threatening. Septicaemia basically means an infection that has moved into your blood. I think this would happen in an extreme case though!!Just keep up with your oral hygiene practices and don't miss dental appointments. You'll be just fine. Doctors are obligated to inform patients of every little risk and potential complication, no matter how rare they are.

[IrvS9626]

The risks you read about are for serious and prolonged existance of the condition.The risks are less with treatment than without, plus you get to keep your teeth, which benefits your over-all health.If anything your life expectancy increased with the removal of those infections which, left in place would be a constant challenge to your immune system.At 22, it's unlikely you had serious enough pockets that they'd even have to prescribe antibiotics with the treatment.

[LauraGrubb]

I know how you feel. I have a little periodontal disease, no pockets yet but my gums bleed easy and are dark pink. I'm trying hard but I still have problems. I think we just need to brush our teeth and use mouthwash and floss more and take care of the rest of our bodies as well and we'll be alright.

[HeatherR9645]

The theory behind gum disease affecting the heart is the bacteria that grows in the gums can become mobile or enter your blood stream and infect and/or cause plaque buildup in your arteries, or a blockage in your brain. Some studies show that there is a greater risk for heart attack in people with gum disease than in people who have high cholesterol. I do not think that any of this has been proven, and I also think that the risks go down if you have your gum disease treated. I just did some reading about it, and it seems like the worse the gum disease is, the greater the risks associated with it are. I'm sure that since you are so young, if you start taking care of the problem now that you will be fine.