The mouth is the window to wellness, so good health begins here:
"Bacteria that builds up between the tooth and gum can enter into the bloodstream whenever your gums bleed. The bacteria can travel throughout the body and cause serious health problems."

Stroke - A new study of fatty deposits lodged in the cartoid arteries of stroke sufferers shows that up to 40% of the bacteria that cause fatty deposits comes from the mouth if the gums are inflamed.
Heart Disease - Bacteria from the mouth can get into the bloodstream when the gums are inflamed. This can get mixed up with the blood clotting cells called platelets. These clumps of cells and bacteria can lodge inside the walls of the blood vessels, causing heart stopping clots to form. These clots are what lead to heart disease. Keeping your gums healthy can reduce your risk of a heart attack.
Diabetes - The presence of any gum inflammation can make it much more difficult for a diabetic to control their blood sugar. Elimination of any gum inflammation can directly
improve diabetic control.
Ulcers - The bacteria that collect in your mouth when gum disease is present are the same bacteria that cause gastric ulcers. If the bacterial count in the mouth is high these bacteria can be constantly traveling to the stomach, re-infecting and causing a return of ulcers.
Pre-Term Births - Women with gum disease are seven to eight times more likely to give birth prematurely to low birth weight babies. Researchers believe that the low-grade gum inflammation causes the body to release inflammatory chemicals that are linked to pre-term birth.
2001 Timothy Donely, D.D.S., M.S.D., Bowling Green, Kentucky.

How can you help reduce health risks? See a dental hygienist routinely, have your dentist make certain that you are in sound dental health, have periodontal problems treated, and practice good daily home-care through brushing and flossing.

Why should you see a Dental Hygienist? Aside from the positive social aspects of a clean mouth with fresh breath, by seeing your dental hygienist to professionally clean your teeth, the pathogen content, and hence the subgingival bio-burden is reduced, thus helping to reduce the likelihood of related medical problems.

With this information it is easy to see how following your dentist's recommendations for care can impact your general well-being. One is not in good health without good oral health.