Healthy Gums, Healthy Heart

“If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it”

If I had a nickel for every time I’ve heard that from a dental patient…well, you get the idea. Unfortunately, many people use this as their excuse for avoiding dental healthcare and healthcare in general. It’s becoming clearer the more we learn about human health that everything is linked together within us and specific areas, dental health included, are ignored at our own risk.

According to several recent studies, there may be a link between poor oral health and increased risk of coronary heart disease. While it may be too soon to say that gum disease or general poor oral health causes or contributes to CHD, there definitely seems to be a correlation. One study showed a 25% greater incidence of CHD in men with gum disease. There has been some discussion as to whether or not poor oral health is merely a reflection of poor general health as opposed to an indicator or “marker” for risk of heart disease. The relationship is clear even when the numbers are adjusted for various factors such as age, nutritional intake, and socioeconomic status. Interestingly, two studies which were adjusted to reflect the health awareness of the subjects, showed no correlation between oral health and heart disease.

The take-home message from all of this is clear. Good oral health is an important part of an individual’s total health. Most dental and gum problems have no symptoms in their early stages, so good preventive care is crucial if you expect to remain healthy for a long time to come. Have yourself checked out and remember to include an oral exam for good health.

Periodontal disease and risk of subsequent cardiovascular disease in U.S. male physicians
TH Howell, PM Ridker, UA Ajani, CH Hennekens and WG Christen
J Am Coll Cardiol 2001, 37:445-450

Assessing the relationship between dental disease and coronary heart disease in elderly U.S. veterans.
Loesche WJ, Schork A, Terpenning MS, Chen YM, Dominguez BL, Grossman N.
J Am Dent Assoc. 1998 Mar;129(3):301-11

Association between dental health and acute myocardial infarction
Mattila KJ, Nieminen MS, Valtonen VV, Rasi VP, Kesaniemi YA, Syrjala SL, Jungell PS, Isoluoma M, Hietaniemi K, Jokinen MJ.
BMJ. 1989 Mar 25;298(6676):779-81

Dental disease and risk of coronary heart disease and mortality.
DeStefano F, Anda RF, Kahn HS, Williamson DF, Russell CM.
BMJ. 1993 Mar 13;306(6879):688-91

Poor oral health and coronary heart disease
K. J. Joshipura, E. B. Rimm, C. W. Douglass, D. Trichopoulos, A. Ascherio and W. C. Willett
Journal of Dental Research, Vol 75, 1631-1636