Does gum disease affect your heart?

People with gum disease (also known as periodontal disease) have two to three times the risk of having a heart attack

heart attack

A silent heart attack, known as a silent myocardial infarction (SMI), account for 45% of heart attacks and strike men more than women.

https://www.health.harvard.edu › heart-health › the-danger-of...

The danger of “silent” heart attacks - Harvard Health

, stroke, or other serious cardiovascular event. But there may not be a direct connection. Many people with heart disease have healthy gums, and not everyone with gum disease develops heart problems.

Can a gum infection spread to your heart?

As such, bacterial infections associated with poor oral health, such as gingivitis and periodontitis, can also spread to the heart. The toxic bacteria can enter the bloodstream and can end up in the heart where they can then cause deadly endocarditis.

Can gum disease mess with your heart?

Gum disease (periodontitis) is associated with an increased risk of developing heart disease. Poor dental health increases the risk of a bacterial infection in the blood stream, which can affect the heart valves. Oral health may be particularly important if you have artificial heart valves.

How does periodontitis affect the heart?

The bacteria that infect the gums and cause gingivitis and periodontitis also travel to blood vessels elsewhere in the body where they cause blood vessel inflammation and damage; tiny blood clots, heart attack and stroke may follow.

Can infected teeth cause heart problems?

The study, published in the Journal of Dental Research¹, has found that people with untreated tooth infections are 2.7 times more likely to have cardiovascular problems, such as coronary artery disease, than patients who have had treatment of dental infections.

Gum Disease May Contribute to Heart Disease

How do I know if my tooth infection has spread to my heart?

Which teeth are connected to the heart?

Wisdom teeth, on the other hand, connect to the central nervous system, heart, liver, and intestines. They can also signal high blood pressure, eczema, headache, liver disease, pain in the extremities, and cardiovascular disease.

Can gum disease cause shortness of breath?

Periodontal Disease, Heart Disease and Stroke

This causes the arteries to narrow, constricting blood flow. Oxygen is restricted from traveling to the heart which results in shortness of breath, chest pain and even heart attack.

Can gingivitis cause heart palpitations?

Gum disease does not directly cause palpitations, but it increases the risk of heart disease, which is a trigger. The bacteria present in gingivae can spread to the surrounding tissues and the bloodstream, causing inflammation.

Why do dentists ask if you have heart problems?

Usually, oral procedures like teeth cleaning can cause your mouth to bleed, introducing bacteria into your bloodstream and your heart. Therefore, people with heart conditions are at higher risk of developing heart tissue or valve inflammation when bacteria enter the bloodstream.

What are the symptoms heart disease?

Can gum disease make you sick?

If the gums and areas between teeth are not cleaned properly, gum disease can begin. Here are some examples of how tooth problems such as decaying, cracked or missing teeth and gum problems can affect your health and make you sick.

How do you fix gum disease?

Floss daily. Use a mouth rinse to help reduce plaque between your teeth, if recommended by your dentist. Supplement brushing and flossing with an interdental cleaner, such as a dental pick, interdental brush or dental stick specially designed to clean between your teeth.

What are the warning signs of endocarditis?

Can tooth pain indicate heart problems?

In some cases, toothache may be a warning sign of a heart attack. Heart and lung disease can cause toothache pain due to the location of your vagus nerve. This nerve runs from your brain to the different organs in your body, including your heart and lungs.

Can dental problems cause chest pain?

At a broad level, research points to poor dental health as a potential risk factor for heart disease. This means that tooth pain (caused by tooth infections) and chest pain (due to heart conditions) can be related.

Can gum disease cause atrial fibrillation?

Inflammation may be a risk factor for atrial fibrillation (AF). Oral infections frequently lead to chronic inflammation, such as gingivitis, periodontitis, and endodontic lesions.

Can gum disease cause a stroke?

Research Highlights: Two studies raise the possibility that treating gum disease may help prevent the development of artery blockage, thus reducing stroke risk. Patients with gum disease were twice as likely to have a stroke caused by hardening of large arteries within the brain than those without gum disease.

What health problems can gum disease cause?

Your gums are a barrier that helps prevent inflammation that may damage your body. In fact, gum disease has been linked to health problems such as diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and premature births or low-birth weight babies.

Can gum cause chest infection?

Accumulating evidence suggests that oral disorders, particularly periodontal disease, may influence the course of respiratory infections like bacterial pneumonia and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Oral periodontopathic bacteria can be aspirated into the lung causing aspiration pneumonia.

Can gum disease affect your lungs?

Gum disease can also worsen the chronic inflammation in lung diseases such as asthma and COPD. Inflammation in the airways is one factor that leads to more frequent symptoms and lung damage. Infected and inflamed gums send out a “distress signal” that places the rest of the body on alert.

What organs are connected to your teeth?

Are your teeth directly connected to your heart?

Numerous studies show a link between poor oral health and an increased risk of heart disease. In fact, people with periodontal (gum) disease are almost 50% more likely to have a heart attack. Scientific evidence hasn't yet proven a cause-effect relationship.

What happens if a tooth infection spreads?

If a tooth infection goes untreated, it can spread to other areas of the body over a period of weeks or months. This can cause serious symptoms like fever, difficulty breathing, or trouble swallowing. Death can occur quickly without immediate care.

How long can you have a tooth infection before it kills you?

It first forms into a dental abscess if not treated promptly. Once an abscess has developed, you may experience severe tooth pain and swelling. In a few weeks or months, the infection may spread to other tissues. Death can occur in a few days once the infection has spread to other tissues and the bloodstream.