Tuesday, May 31, 2016

Happy Heart: The Dental Connection!

Medical doctors and dental health professionals have debated over the connection between gum disease and heart disease.  While there may not be a unanimous consensus on whether there is a direct link - or the extent to any link there may be - several studies offer some interesting insights into possible correlations that may prove that there are some common factors that point to a likely correlation between the two.

THE LINK

Dr. Simone Ricketts reported on the findings of an Australian study that showed that 70% of the patients that participated in the study who needed heart transplants also had gum disease. A similar study also noted that patients that needed cardiac surgery procedures, were more likely to have dental problems.

Gum disease has been shown to increase the risk factor for blood vessel and artery diseases when those arteries supply blood to the brain.  This is especially important for strokes because they are a common cause of inadequate blood flow to the brain.  Interesting to note is that the gums of people
with gum disease and the blood vessels of people who had atherosclerosis tested positive for similar types of bacteria.  Also, both patients with atherosclerosis and those with gum disease showed the presence of inflammation in their bodies.

While there may be no guarantee that the absence of gum disease will prevent all heart related disease, patients need to understand the importance of taking care of their mouths and doing whatever is necessary to ensure or support heart health!

If you have any questions or are in need of a dental appointment, call our office at 918-455-0123!

God Bless,
DRT


No comments:

Post a Comment