Research has revealed that there may be a connection between the health of your teeth and your risk of getting heart disease. While further research is going to be necessary to understand this connection, enough has been revealed to indicate that there is a definite correlation between poor oral health and an increased risk of heart disease. While regular dental care hasn’t been proven to be a direct cause of heart disease, the following evidence reveals that there is clearly some kind of connection.
- Patients with gum disease have been shown to have a higher risk of contracting heart disease.
- Poor oral health increases the likelihood that a patient will contract a bacterial infection of the bloodstream, which in turn can have a direct effect on the valves of the heart.
- Good oral health practices are essential in those with artificial heart valves as a result.
- Cardiovascular disease, gum disease are more frequent in those with diabetes, making oral health care even more important for these patients.
Why Would These Two Conditions Be Connected?
This is an excellent question, and one that researchers have been testing and mulling over. While it’s clear that the two conditions show strong correlation, the direct cause of this connection has yet to be revealed. Some of the theories involved are:
- Gum disease is caused by an infection in the gums, which are densely packed with blood vessels. These blood vessels provide the perfect highway for these bacteria to enter the bloodstream and travel to the heart and other areas of the body.
- That it isn’t necessarily poor oral health, but inflammation, that is the cause of the connection. The introduction of bacteria into the body and the resulting inflammation can have far reaching consequences for the body.
- A direct connection may not exist, but a condition or habit that exists alongside both may be confounding the available evidence. Examples would include poor health care, a lack of exercise, and smoking.
Research continues to be ongoing, with smoking representing a large connection to both poor oral health and the presence of heart disease. While smoking undoubtedly accounts for increased risks of both conditions, there are still other cases that continue to show a correlation even when smoking is not involved. For now what is clear is that there is some connection between the two, making taking care of your oral health even more important than ever before.
If you want to learn more about the connection between oral health and cardiac disease then make a call to Dr. Sam S. Sadati at The Sadati Center For Aesthetic Dentistry today. When you make an appointment you’ll be receiving dental care from one of the most respected dental practitioners in Wellington, FL. Don’t let your heart be at risk because you’re oral health isn’t being seen to, pick up the phone and make an appointment with the staff of Dr. Sadati today.
