Oral Care and Heart Health: What’s the Connection?

Skipping regular dental visits can lead to much more than another cavity. That’s because bacteria in the mouth can cause tooth decay and infection that can spread to other parts of your body like your heart, and could lead to heart conditions and put you at a higher risk of heart attack or stroke.

So how does that happen? If you have an infected tooth, for example, that bacteria can travel through the bloodstream and if it makes it to your heart, can cause infective endocarditis, which is an infection of the inner lining of the heart.

Your teeth are just one part of the picture, though, so don’t forget about your gums. Chronic gum inflammation has been connected to coronary artery disease, which is the most common type of heart disease. Gum disease and inflammation is also connected to higher blood pressure, so any time you have that on a chronic basis, you’re putting your heart at risk.

It’s important to know that gum disease is more common and may be more severe in people with diabetes. And while smoking and tobacco use increase your risk of heart disease on their own, using them can also affect your gum health.

You may have noticed that your dentist checks your blood pressure before a dental procedure or cleaning. This is because having high blood pressure could mean an increased bleeding risk. But it’s also a great prevention and early detection tool because blood pressure is an important vital sign that can potentially identify underlying health issues that you need to get checked out.