Whole Body Health - Cardiovascular Disease

The mouth is the gateway to our body and periodontal disease can be linked to the health of the cardiovascular system.

What are the warning signs of gum disease? ⁴

People with periodontal disease – are higher risk of having a heart attack, stroke or other serious cardiovascular event.¹

Here’s why:

• Undisturbed plaque can lead to Gingivitis (inflammation) which if left untreated can lead to the development of Periodontitis. Experts have discovered an interesting two-way relationship between Cardiovascular disease and periodontitis. ^{4, 5}

• Plaque accumulation can lead to chronic gum inflammation which, if left untreated can lead to periodontal disease. Periodontal disease is chronic inflammation and periodontal pathogens are detected in atherosclerotic plaque sites in the body. ²

• Atherosclerotic plaque sites are where fats, cholesterol, calcium and fatty deposits build up in the artery walls. They are the leading cause of the majority of heart attacks and many strokes as they can rupture and cause a blood clot to develop to cover the break, which in turn can block blood flow.

• When ‘bad’ cholesterol accumulates in the blood vessels, it can cause a corrosive process - similar to rusting pipes - which stimulates an inflammatory response by the body’s immune system.

• Rather than restoring the artery walls, this inflammation can further enlarge plaque build-up or rupture³ , triggering the inflammatory cycle.

Gingivitis

• Red, swollen or tender gums

• Bleeding gums

• Persistent bad breath

Did you know?

P. gingivalis and other oral bacteria have been observed in human arteries at the sites where arterial plaque builds-up.⁵

Periodontitis

• Receding gums

• Loose teeth

• Sensitive teeth

• Pain when chewing disease

How to keep gum disease at bay?

Cardiovascular patients’ first line of defense against gum disease focuses on eliminating toxic plaque through:

Practicing a robust oral hygiene routine which incorporates antimicrobial products which are proven to prevent plaque and gingivitis.

Incorporating products containing stannous fluoride dentifrice which can decrease the toxicity/harmful effects of bad plaque bacteria.

Visiting your dental professional and seeking treatment can help control and decrease periodontal infection and inflammation

References

1. https://www.health.harvard.edu/heart-health/gum-disease-and-heart-disease-the-common-thread (Accessed Jan 2021)

2. Blaizot A, Vergenes JN, Nuwwareh S, Amar J, Sixou M. Periodontal diseases and cardiovascular events: Meta-analyseis of observational studies. Int Dent J 2009; 59(4):197-209.

3. Xu S, Song M, Xiong Y, Liu X, He Y, Qin Z. The association between periodontal disease and the risk of myocardial infarction: A pooled analysis of observational studies. BMC Cardiovascular Disorders 2017; 17:50.

4. Martin-Cabezas R, Seelam N, Petit C, Agossa K, Gaertner S, Tenenbaum H, et al. Association between periodontitis and arterial hypertension: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Am Heart J 2016; 180:98-112.

5. Zeng XT,Leng WD, Lam YY, Yan BP, Wei XM, Weng H, Kwong JS. Periodontal disease and carotid atherosclerosis: A meta[1]analysis of 17,330 participants. Int J Cardiol 2016; 203:1044-1051. Wang J, Geng X, Sun J, Zhang Z, Yu W, Zhang X, Liu H. The risk of periodontitis for peripheral vascular disease: A systematic review. Rev Cardiovasc Med 2019; 20(2):81-89. Humphrey LL, Fu R, Buckley DI, Freeman M, Helfand M. Periodontal disease and coronary heart disease incidence: A systematic review and meta-analysis. J Gen Intern Med 2008; 23(12):2079-2086. NHS UK. Available at: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/gum-disease/symptoms/ [Last accessed: 07 December 2020]

6. Roca-Millan E, Gonzalez-Navarro B, Sabater-Recolons MM, Mari-Roig A, Jane-Salas E, Lopez-Lopez J. Periodontal treatment on patients with cardiovascular disease: Systematic review and meta-analysis. Med Oral Patol Oral Cir Bucal 2018; 23(6):e681-e690. Teeuw WJ, Slot DE, Susanto H, Gerdes VEA, Abbas F, D’Aiuto F, Kastelein JJP, Loos BG. Treatment of periodontitis improves the atherosclerotic profile: A systematic review and meta-analysis. J Clin Periodontol 2014; 41:70-79. *Orlandi M, Suvan J, Petrie A, Donos N, Masi S, Hingorani A, Deanfield J, D’Aiuto F. Association between periodontal disease and its treatment, flow-mediated dilatation and carotid intima-media thickness: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Atherosclerosis 2014; 236:39-46. *Changal K, Bashir R, Sheikh MA. Periodontal therapy improves serum soluble E-selectin levels and endothelial function; A meta-analysis. Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis, and Vascular Biology 2019; 39:A22

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