Beyond The Teeth–How Gum Disease Can Affect the Heart
Cardiovascular disease remains the leading cause of death around the globe, taking an estimated 17.9 million lives every year–approximately one-third of all deaths worldwide. For years, researchers have been probing the link between poor oral health and heart disease. Study after study has arrived at the conclusion that people with gum disease have more cardiac issues, like stroke or heart attack, as compared to people with no signs of gum disease.
What exactly is gum disease, and do a lot of people have it?
Gum disease, or periodontitis in dentist linguo, is one of the most prevalent chronic inflammatory oral conditions that affect a great many people globally. Almost half the adults in the UK alone have some form of periodontitis, and the numbers are similar everywhere else. This chronic disease attacks and destroys the supporting structures of the teeth, both soft and hard. With compromised support, the teeth become more likely to become loose and eventually fall out.
Like most other dental problems, gum disease begins as a result of the accumulation of food particles and debris around the teeth and gums–giving rise to a sticky, bacteria-laden film called plaque.
Interestingly enough, plaque can also build up inside your arteries, but its composition is completely different than that present in your mouth. Compromised predominantly of substances found in the blood–fat, cholesterol, calcium, etcetera–this fatty plaque causes the walls of the arteries to thicken and harden–and is the hallmark of coronary artery disease.
Although it is clear that having gum disease increases your risk of undergoing a serious cardiovascular event, there isn’t a direct connection between the two. Not everyone with gum disease develops a heart condition, and many people with heart problems have healthy gums.
What, then, may explain the association? Let’s get straight to it.
Shared risk factors–including many of the usual suspects like smoking, an unhealthy diet, alcohol abuse, an inactive lifestyle, or a lack of access to health and dental care– explain some of it.
Shared comorbidities between gum disease and heart health, such as diabetes mellitus, endocarditis, hyperlipidemia, and hypertension, further strengthen the link.
Buckle in. You’re about to learn how this is predicted to unfold.
The Bacteria Hitting Us With A Double Whammy?
The human body is an incredibly complex unit with seemingly infinite biological processes going on within it. These processes are so intertwined that a problem in any one part upsets many other functions elsewhere in the body. Inflammation within the body is one such problem that offsets reactions in multiple areas.
There is growing evidence that bacteria and inflammation are the two major culprits responsible for causing and spreading trouble in both the mouth and the heart. As your mouth serves as a gateway to the rest of your body, it is no surprise that your oral health can affect your general health and the other way around.
Bacteria On The Constant Move
When studying both gum and heart disease, researchers have detected bacteria in places where they’re not meant to be. For instance, the bacteria that cause gum disease have been found in the plaque that clogs coronary arteries and in blood clots in people who have suffered heart attacks.
This can be attributed to the quality of bacteria to travel to blood vessels throughout the body–where they also silently make their way into and invade those leading to the heart.
How exactly was this unveiled?
It was found that people with gum disease have high levels of a bacterial strain called P. gingivali, among others, present in the plaque on their teeth. Researchers gathered that people with an increased number of this bacterial strain in their mouths tended to have more damage to their hearts, which was shown by an abundance of plaque in their arteries.
If you’re wondering how the bacteria were able to get away with this– P. gingivalis is notorious for its ability to escape the body’s natural defence system, sneak into and circulate in the bloodstream, and colonise the walls of the heart’s arteries.
The Inflammation Link
Bacterial invasion of these arteries can potentially offset a cascade of traumatic events. According to a 2024 study, they could possibly start or worsen inflammation, causing damage and encouraging the formation of blood clots. This could consequently increase the risk of serious events like a heart attack or stroke.
Chronic or long-term inflammation, such as that seen in periodontitis, also increases the burden of inflammation within the body. Chronic inflammation happens to be a major culprit for heart disease. Not only does it promote the growth of plaques, but it also helps dislodge plaque in the arteries and encourages the formation of blood clots–all of which trigger heart attacks and strokes.
How Do You Know You Have Gum Disease?
If you notice your spit tinged with blood for a few weeks after you brush or floss, it might be indicative of early-stage gum disease.
Although this troublesome condition is a very, very quiet disease, it can have some other distinctive symptoms–or even none at all.
Common signs and symptoms include the following:
- Swollen and often discoloured gums
- Tender gums
- Gums that bleed either spontaneously or after brushing or flossing
- Receded gums, making the teeth appear longer than usual
- The presence of spaces between teeth
- Pus between the teeth and gums
- Mobile or loose teeth
- Bad breath
In addition to these, you might also feel a change in tooth sensation when you bite if you have gum disease. This happens as a result of your teeth becoming wobbly.
If the disease has progressed further into the jawbone, complaints like spontaneous pain or pain while eating are not uncommon. They arise secondary to the formation of gum boils or bone lesions as the infection spreads and erodes bone tissue.
Can Treating Gum Disease Help Prevent Heart Disease?
To date, there exists no consolidated evidence proving that treating gum disease will prevent or treat heart disease or its complications. That doesn’t, however, mean it’s not compelling enough to take precautionary action.
Some studies support the idea that periodontal interventions can positively impact heart health by reducing systemic inflammation and other risk markers associated with heart disease.
A few of them are mentioned below.
A very recent study done in 2024, published in BMC Oral Health, showed some reduction in the risk factors for heart problems after periodontal therapy, which was effectively able to control inflammation in the mouth (locally) and in the rest of the body (systemically).
A 2016 study in the Journal of Dental Research showed that people with untreated tooth infections are almost three times more likely to have heart problems like coronary artery disease than people with healthy mouths.
A 2018 PubMed study suggested that ‘patients with periodontitis had more than double the risk of suffering a cardioembolic stroke (a stroke that occurs when a clot or debris from the heart obstructs the blood flow to the brain) compared to individuals with healthy gums.’
The link between the two is concurred by reasonable evidence, so much so that many dentists and doctors consider it a very important reason to be vigilant about oral health and proactively take care to prevent gum disease from occurring in the first place.
And keeping dental problems at bay, including gum disease, all boils down to maintaining excellent oral hygiene. If you have early signs of gum disease, a condition the dentists call gingivitis, reversing the damage will be easier and quicker if you follow a meticulous oral care regimen.
Here are a few tips to help you with that.
- Brush daily for about two minutes, especially before bedtime, to remove food debris from the tooth surfaces and the gumline–one of the favourite hiding spots for those pesky pathogens.
- Floss between the teeth to sweep away the sticky film of bacteria and food debris that can later form plaque and wreak havoc.
- See your dentist a few times a year to get professional cleanings done. It is possible you may miss some spots on your teeth and under the gums, teeming with bacteria that a professional can reach and debride thoroughly.
While brushing and flossing are crucial, it is equally important to spend enough time performing these tasks to ensure you leave no trace of bacteria behind. You can ask your dentist for a demonstration so you know you’re doing it correctly, using the right techniques.
What happens if you leave gingivitis untreated?
Well, things only go downhill from there. Gingivitis quickly progresses to full-blown periodontitis, the advanced stage of the disease. The gums holding the roots of the teeth become loose, creating pockets that eventually get deeper and invite bacteria and infection. With time, if you do nothing about it, the raging inflammation causes the tooth to become mobile. The infection worsens to such an extent that tooth loss becomes inevitable.
Quelling Chronic Inflammation With A Holistic Approach
Inflammation can be controlled by avoiding the causative factors responsible for activating the inflammatory response of your body. The good news is that these same lifestyle choices will also help you lower bad cholesterol, decrease blood pressure, and reduce high blood sugar, all of which can contribute to initiating or exacerbating heart disease.
At Zental, a holistic dental practice, we’re all about promoting overall wellness to keep you feeling good from the inside out and maintaining a healthy smile. Holistic dentistry pays great attention to the inextricable connection between oral health and the health of the rest of the body. Our team of holistic dentists at Zental work with you to improve your overall well-being so you can experience life-changing effects for yourself.
Here’s a list of what you can do to reduce inflammation and take care of your heart health:
Quit smoking:
Smoking damages your blood vessels and encourages the deposition of fatty plaque in your arteries. Quitting can actually lower your risk of heart disease in half.
Watch your weight:
Being overweight increases your risk for multiple diseases, including heart disease. Excess fat around your belly can be very dangerous and is a major red flag for the risk of heart issues. Fat that you gain around your belly, also known as visceral fat, secretes a molecule that causes inflammation within the body. And we need not remind you how bad that can be for your health.
Maintain an active lifestyle:
Research shows that exercising for as little as 20 minutes a day can do your body great good and lower inflammation. We’re not asking you to start high-intensity workouts overnight. Moderate workouts, such as brisk walking, are also very effective, and you can always build up to a vigorous intensity level with time.
Eat a heart-healthy diet:
Ultra-processed and fast foods can cause inflammation. Whole foods, on the other hand, are anti-inflammatory in nature. Incorporating more fruits, vegetables, whole grains, beans, nuts and fatty fish in your diet can help you get inflammation under control.
There’s no way to tell for sure if you have chronic inflammation apart from a blood test. As most people aren’t regularly screened for it, making healthy lifestyle choices is the best way to reduce your risk of heart disease.
The Takeaway–Healthy Gums, Healthy Body
Regardless of whether the link between gum disease and heart health is direct or indirect, there’s no denying the fact that a healthy oral environment and a meticulous routine to keep it that way is key to helping you keep your teeth.
The connection between poor oral health and overall health may not be limited to heart disease. Oral health is deeply connected to the health of the rest of the body, including the gut, the brain, and the lungs. A condition that can influence so many other bodily functions needs to be taken seriously–and managed with a holistic approach. Enter, holistic dentistry.
Holistic dentistry bridges the gap and aims to improve all aspects of your health, including your dental health, and prevent many issues from arising–making you feel invigorated and in control of your general well-being. To book a consultation with holistic dental experts, click here. To help you locate a clinic nearest to you, please click here. You won’t regret it.
