Gum and heart disease

Filed in archive News on November 28, 2005

The link between gum and heart disease:

There's mounting evidence that brushing, flossing and regular dental checkups may be at the heart of good cardiovascular health.

"People who have chronic infections -- and gum disease is one of the major chronic infections -- are at increased risk later in life for atherosclerosis [hardening of the arteries] and coronary heart disease," said American Heart Association spokesman Dr. Richard Stein, who is also director of preventive cardiology at Beth Israel Medical Center, in New York City.

Stein said he regularly counsels patients worried about their risk for heart attack or stroke to incorporate good periodontal care in their preventive strategies, just as they would include exercise, healthy diets and appropriate medications.

The reason: Chronic periodontal disease -- which is caused by a number of oral bacteria -- appears to set off an inflammatory process that exacerbates and contributes to the build-up of cholesterol-rich plaque on artery walls.

"The presence of a chronic infection in the mouth is very similar to a chronic infection anywhere else in the body, in that it puts stress on our body's response system," explained Dr. Ronald Inge, associate executive director of the division of dental practice at the american dental association in Chicago. "The way the body responds [to that stress] is by sending different elements through the bloodstream, and these elements create the plaque."

In fact, one study published earlier this year in the journal Circulation found that patients with high levels of gum disease bacteria were also at high risk for atherosclerosis.

"This demonstrates that the [health of] the mouth isn't isolated from the rest of the body," Inge said.