As per the study, the risk of heart attack increases for the people who undergo invasive dental surgery such as gum disease treatment. After dental surgery, it is observed that there is an increase in risk of heart diseases in many cases, but not in every dental procedure. It is also observed that in a few cases, heart attack or stroke occurred a few weeks after the operation.
Heart diseases are linked to inflammation and bacterial infections after treatments. Bacteria from the tooth infection, enters into the bloodstream. Bacteria in blood vessels leads to inflammation. The walls of the arteries get damaged due to inflammation and lead to plaque formation which clog arteries. There is no such evidence which proves that dental procedure causes heart attack. But acute inflammation is associated with cardiovascular events such as heart attack or stroke.
Oral bacteria release toxin, which can harm blood vessels and blood clots easily. Inflammation in the mouth can spread inflammation in the heart, in arteries, and throughout the body. This leads to heart attack.
Oral health and heart disease are linked in two ways-
- Overall body health is linked to oral health. Oral health gives warnings about health conditions or diseases, including heart disease. As per the research, most of the diseases, including heart disease has oral symptoms.
- People who have periodontitis (advanced gum disease) have a higher risk of heart attack than who have healthy gums. Bacteria in the mouth affect the health of gums and teeth. Bacteria from infected gums, gets into the bloodstream, while tooth brushing and chewing. They harm blood vessels. It causes an increase in clot formation. Inflammation caused due to gum disease triggers clot formation. These clots create hurdles in blood circulation. This increases the risk of heart attack. The bacteria which cause periodontitis, is also found in plaque in arteries. Plaque causes heart attack. Poor nutrition, smoking, diabetes is the most common risk factors for the gum disease as well heart disease.
In most of the cases it is observed that, patients have stopped taking Aspirin. May be cut off of aspirin triggers the heart diseases. Cardiovascular events such as heart attack happens because of the blood vessels and heart problems.
Delaying dental treatment is not the solution to prevent heart disease, because it can cause other complications also. Instead, people should consult the dentist and tell their heart condition. As benefits of dental treatment is higher than the temporary risk. This risk is no longer there, after six months.
As oral health is associated with heart disease, it is essential to take care of teeth. Do the brush and floss regularly. Make use of a mouth rinse. Consult the doctor every six months for cleaning. Regular dental cleaning helps to remove bacteria and plaque and gum diseases can be detected and treated early. Take nutritious diet. Avoid smoking/alcohol. This will definitely help you to improve oral health and benefit your heart also. Better oral health leads to good overall health. After all, prevention is the best medicine.
