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Dental Plaque & Heart Disease

Many researchers, dentists and doctors believe that dental plaque can result in blood clots that cause heart attacks when the clots travel into the bloodstream, according to Dr. Dan Peterson and Dentalgentlecare.com. For years, researchers have believed there is a link between gum disease, which is called periodontitis, and cardiovascular health.

  1. Description

    • Dental plaque and arterial plaque accumulate in different kinds of environments and are made up of different materials, according to Science in the News. Dental plaque forms in the oral cavity and is composed of hundreds of bacterial species, whereas arterial plague is made up of fatty material that is deposited in the arteries' inner walls. There does seem to be a link between cardiovascular disease and periodontal disease, including stroke and hardening of the arteries. Studies on animals have shown that periodontal disease can cause hardening of the arteries.

    Precautions

    • Dental patients who have cardiovascular disease need to take antibiotics before going to the dentist, according to Colgate.com. Taking antibiotics before a dental procedure reduces the chance of bacterial endocarditis, which is an uncommon infection of the valves.

    What Happens

    • If bacteria reach the arteries during a dental procedure, it can irritate the arteries just as it irritates gum tissue. The bacteria may cause arterial plaque to build up in the arteries, which can affect blood flow. When your blood flow has been compromised, this can cause a heart attack. If arterial plaque comes loose, it can cause a stroke if the blockage occurs in the brain.

    Minimize Your Risk

    • Gum disease is the result of plaque build-up, notes Dr. Dan Peterson. If you brush and floss regularly, this should help remove plaque. By minimizing plaque, you are reducing your chance for gum disease, which can lead to cardiovascular problems.

    Save Your Teeth and Your Life

    • Dentalwellness4u.com notes that a person has an increased risk of heart disease if he has periodontitis, which is a serious form of gum disease. Decayed areas of teeth, which are called caries, do not appear to be a factor in heart disease. The higher the amount of plaque in your mouth, plaque being considered dental debris, and the higher the amount of tartar, which is calculus, the higher the risk for coronary disease. Eliminating gum disease is not only about saving your teeth but, possibly, your life. Subjects who have gingivitis, which is a less severe form of periodontal disease, have approximately 23 percent higher risk of death than those who do not have it. Those with periodontitis have about a 50 percent higher risk of dying than those who don't have this condition.

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