Clean Teeth, Happy Heart?

This may come as a surprise: a medical pairing that adds up to trouble. It has to do with bacteria in your mouth and cardiovascular disease.

Research points to a link between gum disease and heart disease.

Dr. Susan Anderson directs the dental hygiene program at Hodges University in Fort Myers. She said despite science connecting the dots, she finds few people pay attention.

“It’s interesting that there are people who still think that there is no connection between oral health and general health,” she said, “but there is. Anything that goes on in the mouth, any bacteria that’s in the mouth, can travel throughout the body.”

It is why she stresses the importance of oral exams when training her students. “There are things that we see as dental professionals in the mouth before it actually manifests itself in the body,” Anderson said, “so when we see inflammation in the gums, oftentimes, there is also inflammation being created within the valves of the heart.”

The sticky plaque that builds up around teeth is different from the cholesterol plaque found in arteries, but people with gum disease are two to three times more likely to have a heart attack or stroke, most due to the chronic inflammation going on in the mouth and the spread of bacteria.

Periodontist Dr. Cynthia Deragon also teaches at Hodges.

During her time in private practice, she saw a lot of gum disease and tooth decay that could cause trouble down the road.

“The mouth just happens to be a very common place where people have chronic disease. They don’t understand or feel the pain of it,” said Deragon. “If they avoid going to the dentist, not realizing that they actually have inflammation in their mouths and that can lead to cardiac problems.”

So here is something to chew on: Keeping your teeth clean is good for your heart.