My little 4 pound dog started having throat problems. She was coughing frequently so I took her to the vet, thinking she had something caught or blocking her throat. The vet checked her out, scoped her throat and couldn’t find anything. Since she was due for her teeth cleaning, the vet tech cleaned her teeth, and sadly, found periodontal disease around her lower front teeth. The teeth could not be saved, and she had to have five teeth extracted. She recovered quickly; however, a week after her teeth cleaning, I noticed that her coughing spells miraculously disappeared.
I know that this scenario is with my dog, not a human, but the lesson to be learned goes for both – periodontal disease can lead to serious conditions elsewhere in the body. The bacteria that is in our mouths, get swallowed and travels through our throats to our stomachs and the bacteria, also, get into our bloodstream and can travel to our heart and our other organs.
So, please, for your overall health, be diligent with your home care and be adamant at keeping your dental hygiene appointments.