How Can Gum Disease Affect My Cardiovascular Health?

Researchers are finding possible links between periodontal (gum) infections and other diseases throughout the body. Current studies suggest that there may be a link between gum disease and cardiovascular disease. In fact, some research suggests that gum disease may be a more serious risk factor for heart disease than high blood pressure (hypertension), smoking, high cholesterol, gender and age. Studies suggest that people who have gum disease seem to be at a higher risk for heart attacks, although no one is certain how this relationship works. Your oral health affects your overall health, but studies that will find exactly why these problems are linked are still underway.

 

Have a Heart-to-heart Chat Before Dental Visits

Congestive heart failure (CHF), a condition in which the heart cannot pump enough blood to the body's organs, affects more than 3 million people in the United States, with approximately 400,000 new cases each year.

People with a history of an untreated or poorly managed CHF, may be at high risk during a dental treatment for infection, cardiac arrest, stroke and heart attack, according to the lead author of a new study that appears in the May/June 2002 issue of General Dentistry, the clinical, peer-reviewed publication of the Academy of General Dentistry (AGD).

"Bacteria released during a dental cleaning travels through the bloodstream and to the areas that help pump blood to other organs," says Nelson L. Rhodus, DMD, MPH, lead author of the study. "Patients with untreated CHF are at high risk for infections because the bacteria released can trigger blood clots that may exacerbate the existing condition."

Dr. Rhodus hopes his findings help increase patient awareness about getting CHF under control so patients can receive dental treatment.