Links Between Oral Health and Heart Health
Medical and dental professionals and researchers agree that there is a correlation between oral health, particularly gum health, and heart health. They are continuing to do studies and experiments to try and pinpoint the exact causal connections and how they can be overcome. For instance, does plaque on your teeth correlate to plaque buildup in your heart?
"Good oral hygiene is crucial not just for a healthy mouth but also for a healthy heart, as poor oral health can increase the risk of heart disease by spreading bacteria and causing inflammation."
What they all agree on is that there is a medical/dental connection and the best way to protect your general wellbeing is to have a healthy mouth. That includes brushing 2 minutes, twice a day, with fluoride toothpaste, seeing your oral health professional twice yearly for check-ups, eating a healthy diet and avoiding foods high in added sugars, saturated fats, and salt, choosing water and limiting alcohol, and not smoking.
Following these basic outlines, you should be able to maintain healthy teeth and gums. There are different stages of gum disease. Most people will develop plaque, a thin film that covers your teeth and can harbor bacteria. When the film remains, it hardens and creates tartar. Tartar buildup irritates and inflames your gums until the bacteria causes gingivitis and periodontitis. In addition to allowing your teeth to loosen in their sockets and even fall out, that same bacteria can travel to your blood vessels and throughout your body.
Periodontal disease causes the inflammation responses of the body to go into overdrive when the white blood cells increase to attach themselves to irritants and microbial invaders. This is how the body defeats infection. The symptoms of periodontal disease that people experience:
Swollen, red, or tender gums that bleed easilyBad breath
Hard brown deposits along the gum line
Eventually, teeth may loosen, move apart from each other, or fall out.
There are several ways in which periodontal disease affects heart health such as heart attacks, heart failure, arrhythmias, and even stroke risk. When bacteria from the mouth moves to the bloodstream it increases the incidence of atherosclerosis or plaque build-up on blood vessel walls. The risk of heart disease and stroke increases when the bacteria clumps on the walls of blood vessels and form plaques or calcifications that clog the arteries. Studies have shown that people with periodontal disease have significantly higher rates of atherosclerosis, restricting the delivery of blood and oxygen from the heart to the body. It can also reduce the flow of blood to the brain, increasing the incidence and severity of strokes.
Medical Emergencies that are Linked to Poor Oral Hygiene
One of the hazards of poor gum health is that it causes inflammation and allows a harmful quantity of bacteria, especially the Porphyronmonas gingivalis bacteria, causing gingivitis and periodontitis. They not only promote local tissue destruction, but enter the bloodstream triggering white blood cells, or monocytes, that can adhere, or invade, the walls of arteries causing them to become inflamed. Once inflamed, cells will accumulate cholesterol and other lipids. When the inflammation becomes chronic, atherosclerotic plaques form which may eventually block the arteries and cause a heart attack, stroke, or other cardiovascular problem.
Research has found that cavities may also significantly increase the risk of life-threatening stroke, especially as you age. Brain bleeds, or intracerebral hemorrhages, occur when blood vessels rupture and leak blood into the brain tissue. This is the more deadly type of stroke. Cavities are predominantly caused by Streptococcus mutans bacteria which studies have linked to brain bleeds. Ischemic strokes are caused by blood clots and reduced blood flow. Gum disease has been shown to damage the brain’s tiny blood vessels and may increase the risk of this type of stroke.
Endocarditis is a bacterial infection that causes the inflammation of the lining of heart valves and heart chambers. The disease affects more than 1 million people worldwide every year (around 50,000 in the US.) It’s contracted more often by the elderly and those that have pre-existing heart afflictions, often after having a tooth extraction. The incidence of endocarditis is steadily is increasing. Preventing inflamed and diseased gums is one of the best ways to avoid contracting the disease.
The same bacteria found in diseased gums has also been found throughout the body, including in the fatty deposits of people with atherosclerosis plaque. This further emphasizes that mouth health is inextricably tied into whole body health. In addition to the bacteria affecting blood flow to the heart and brain, studies have linked the bacterium P. gingivalis to rheumatoid arthritis and the risk of pancreatic cancer. While diseases such as diabetes and osteoporosis (lower bone density affects the jaw) effect mouth health, they are not caused by gum disease or cavities. Instead, they are examples of general health affecting oral health.
Final Thoughts…
While the full list of interconnected cause and effect relationships between heart health and oral health is not yet known, there is enough evidence to prove that the link exists. Poor oral health allows the harmful bacteria in your mouth to flourish causing inflammation. The bacteria can travel through the bloodstream inflaming and affecting arteries, including those in your heart and brain. The aspect of health that is easiest to control is to practice good oral hygiene by following the steps outlined above.
Sources:
Heart disease and oral health fact sheet - Healthy Mouths Healthy Living (nsw.gov.au)
How Oral Health Affects Overall Health (clevelandclinic.org)
How Oral Health and Heart Disease Are Connected (colgate.com)
Gum Disease and Heart Disease: What’s The Link? (gumdiseaseguide.org)
Gum disease and the connection to heart disease - Harvard Health
Gum disease and heart disease: The common thread - Harvard Health
Gum Disease and Heart Disease Link | Penn Medicine
How oral health may affect your heart, brain and risk of death | American Heart Association
Oral Health | American Heart Association
Q&A: Healthy gums, healthy heart; what's the connection? (medicalxpress.com)
