How Is Periodontal Disease Linked to Heart Disease?

Numerous studies have been done proving that any type of periodontal disease has been linked to heart disease and stroke. Did you know that the same type of plaque that is found in your mouth is very similar to the plaque that is found in your arteries and heart? Your mouth carries harmful bacteria to your bloodstream and it travels throughout your body straight to your heart and that is where it stays to wreak havoc.

A good predictor of heart disease is what kind of condition your mouth is in. Loose teeth, broken fillings and broken teeth, and gum disease could predict a possible chance of a heart attack. To save time and money wouldn’t it be nice to know that all you had to do was brush and floss your teeth and keep your gums healthy to prevent a heart attack?

The studies done aren’t exactly sure why the two are linked but it is said that maybe the bacteria in gum disease travels through the bloodstream and attaches itself to the plaque in the arteries and causes swelling just like swelling in your mouth.

Since the studies aren’t clear about periodontal disease causing heart attacks just brushing and flossing will not save you from having a heart attack. The signs and symptoms for a heart attack usually either go unnoticed or are nonexistent but signs and symptoms for gum disease is noticeable and could possibly help in prevention of heart attacks and stroke.

Doctors do suggest ways to limit your overall risk of heart attacks by getting regular doctor check-ups, losing weight and of course exercise. This will reduce your chance of getting heart disease. If you had any type of heart surgery you may want to consider taking an antibiotic before your dental visits to prevent any bacteria from entering your blood stream while having a cleaning done.

Despite certain studies linking heart disease and periodontal disease together, it isn’t clear as to why but if you can catch periodontal disease early on, it would be great to reduce your risk of heart disease.

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