Periodontal Disease and Heart Disease: Causes, High-Risk Group, and Prevention
The latest American Heart Association researches reveal that the patients with periodontal disease, and especially the reoccurring one, are almost two times more likely to suffer with various cardiovascular diseases, and even such life threatening conditions as heart attack and also stroke.
But does it enable us draw the direct link between the periodontal disease and heart disease, when taking into consideration the fact that more than 75% of the American population suffers the minor, gingivitis, periodontal disease stage, and up to 30% of them sooner or later develop much more dangerous gums receding periodontitis? Does this mean that all these people are bound to suffer from at least minor cardiovascular disorder? Or is there any special high-risk group? And how can the vicious periodontal disease and heart disease circle be broken? Let's get the answers to these and some other questions from the American Heart Association experts!
What Enables the Experts to Draw the Link Between the Periodontal Disease and Heart Disease?
The answer to this question is linked to two major aspects, the periodontal disease and heart disease interrelation causes and their heart work hindering mechanism. To get the clear picture, it is worth first investigating the latter issue, which has at least two grounded theories behind it.
The Blood Clots Theory
The first periodontal disease and heart disease theory is based on the high chances of the harmful oral bacteria entering the blood stream. From this point on, they quickly stick to the arteries fatty plaque, and thus, form the blood clots. This leads to the two possible dangerous scenarios.
In the majority of cases, this is the coronary disease, associated with the coronary arteries thickening in the result of the prolonged fatty proteins buildup. This obviously hinders the blood flow and also lowers the amount of oxygen supply to the heart. The both disorders are very likely to lead to a heart attack or even stroke, depending on the blocked artery location.
And in more critical cases, the oral bacteria induced blood clots simply come of the arteries walls, getting into the blood flow. If they finally get into the brain, these clots cause a stroke.
However, the blood clots formation periodontal disease and heart disease link is usually associated only with those periodontal disease stages, which feature the gums bleeding or receding as their symptoms. The thing is that bleeding is the only way for the oral bacteria to enter the blood stream.
Arteries Swelling Theory
The second periodontal disease and heart disease theory is linked to the possibility of the gum disease associated inflammation rapidly induce the fatty plaques buildup, leading to the dangerous arteries swelling or even hardening. This is closely linked to an atherosclerosis development.
This periodontal disease and heart disease theory explains why even the minor gingivitis can sometimes lead to cardiovascular diseases.
What Exactly Oral Bacteria Cause Heart Diseases?
Nowadays, the American Heart Association experts distinguish the two main oral bacteria breeds known to potentially cause the cardiovascular diseases. These are the Preventella Intermedia and also Tannerella Forsynthesis.
Still, the specialists warn that the chances of the periodontal disease and heart disease link does not change depending on which exactly oral bacteria breed triggers the cardiovascular disorder. In fact, the bacteria quantity in the patient's oral cavity is the main aspect that increases the heart disease chances. Such the American Heart Association experts' finding more than ever encourages us to maintain the healthy oral hygiene routine.
When Periodontal Disease Is Life Threatening Dental Condition?
To start with, the patients with existing cardiovascular diseases run much greater risks of their heart condition worsening, when facing the periodontal diseases causing bacteria. These are not only the arterial fibrillation, irregular heartbeats, or congenital heart defects (particularly, the valve ones), but also the cardiac transplants that commonly lead to the gum disease induced bacterial endocarditis chances.
What is more, high cholesterol levels and diabetes are the two general health conditions that widely prove the periodontal disease and heart disease link to be true. On top of that, according to the American Heart Association specialists, there is a moderate connection between the periodontal disease and heart disease among the patients with impaired immune system, including such conditions as AIDS, cancers, and autoimmune diseases.
And last but not the least, the overweight patients and also those, who follow the poor diet, also run greater risks of the cardiovascular diseases arrival, when developing the gum disease.
This way, the American Heart Association specialists reveal the moderate, but still, not direct link between the periodontal disease and heart disease.
How Can the Periodontal Disease Associated Heart Disorders Be Prevented?
The most careful their cardiovascular diseases worsening prevention measures should be taken by those patients, who already have existing heart disorders. These usually include special antibiotic medicines intake yet prior to the gum disease treatment. This will help to avoid the bacterial endocarditis for the patients with the artificial heart transplants or implants (e.g. valve, shuts, or conduits, not to mention heartbeat control devices), birth heart defects, stroke, blood clots in the brain, kidneys, abdomen, or lungs; history of previous infection endocarditis, etc.
Remember that it takes the cooperative work both of your dentist and cardiologist to determine, if your heart condition requires the antibiotic medicines intake prior to gum disease treatment.
Apart from that, the thorough control of the above-mentioned general health diseases is required to lower the periodontal disease and heart disease development chances. This is also relevant for the high blood pressure and cholesterol levels control. The overweight people usually get the recommendations to lose some excessive weight to lower the periodontal disease and heart disease chances.
And finally, both the American Heart Association and American Dental Association specialists highlight that the adequate oral care routine, healthy diet, and regular exercises will also help you to stay away from the periodontal disease and heart disease. Be healthy and wealthy!
