Is Dental and Cardiovascular Health Related?

The answer is simply yes. This is because inflammation or swelling are undoubtedly a sign of gum disease and gum disease can trigger other infections outside the mouth. There are two main types of it:

• Gingivitis that results in red, painful, tender gums


• Periodontitis that causes infected pockets of germy pus

As a person’s gums are made up of tiny blood vessels, the bacteria filled pus enters the bloodstream and carries it to a person’s entire body. These bacteria as a result can cause inflammation in any part of the body.

Studies have proved that inflammation is one of the major reasons of damaged blood vessels, which in turn leads to hardened arteries, also known as atherosclerosis. This means blood vessels that pump blood to the heart may also be hardened, making blood flow to the heart difficult and thus increasing the risk of heart attack or stroke in a person.

In simpler words, the more bacteria present in the body, the more the heart will be affected. Therefore regular dental checkups, including dental X-rays, are crucial to lessen the bacteria in the body and thus maintaining a healthy heart.

Also one must make sure that for a beautiful smile and a healthy mouth one must treat any gum disease as soon as possible. The more concern you show for your oral health, the healthier you will be overall. All you need to do is brush your teeth a bit longer than usual, floss more often and pay regular visit to your dentist, and not only people will love your smile but your heart will love you back too.