How Gum Disease Can Raise Your Risk of Heart Problems
Most people think that brushing and flossing is the way to keep their smile bright — but could keeping your teeth clean also help your heart? Increasing evidence demonstrates the association between gum disease and heart issues, including heart attacks and strokes. This article will discuss how gum disease might boost heart disease risk, what connects the two problems and what you can do to safeguard your oral and heart health.
What Is Gum Disease?
Gum disease is a leading cause of your gums and the bone that helps to support your teeth. It’s also known as periodontal disease. It is often due to inadequate oral hygiene, such as not brushing your teeth or flossing regularly. If you do not clean your teeth well, there is a sticky film on them called plaque. Plaque is teeming with harmful bacteria. If left in place, it hardens into tartar, which can irritate your gums and cause infection.
There are two main stages of gum disease:
Gingivitis – This is the early stage. Your gums may become red, swollen, and bleed easily, especially when you brush or floss. The good news is that gingivitis is reversible with good brushing, flossing, and regular dental checkups.
Periodontitis – If gingivitis is not treated, it can turn into periodontitis, the more serious stage. In this stage, the gums start to pull away from the teeth. The bone that holds the teeth in place can break down. Over time, teeth may become loose or even fall out.
The Link Between Gum Disease and Heart Problems
Many scientists have also discovered that patients with gum disease are more likely to have heart problems than those with healthy gums. This may be surprising — your mouth and your heart are in completely different locations on your body. But they’re even more related than you might suspect.
Here are a few ways gum disease may affect your heart:
1. Inflammation in the Body
When gums are infected, your body tries to fight the infection with inflammation. It is a natural defense. However, inflammation does not necessarily stay just in your mouth. It can move through the bloodstream to other parts of your body, even to your blood vessels.
When this happens, it can make the blood vessels swollen and damaged. This can lead to a condition called atherosclerosis, which is when fat and cholesterol build up inside your arteries. Atherosclerosis makes the arteries narrower and harder, which raises your blood pressure and increases your risk of heart attacks and strokes.
2. Bacteria Entering the Bloodstream
Gum disease is caused by harmful bacteria. If your gums are bleeding or swollen, these bacteria can enter your bloodstream through tiny cuts in your mouth. Once in the blood, the bacteria can:
Travel to your heart.
Stick to damaged areas in your heart or blood vessels.
Cause inflammation or clotting in the heart.
In some cases, this can cause a serious condition called endocarditis, which is an infection of the inner lining of the heart. Endocarditis can be life-threatening if not treated quickly.
3. Shared Risk Factors
Gum disease and heart disease have many common risk factors, including:
Smoking
Poor diet
Diabetes
Obesity
Older age
High stress
Because they share these risks, it’s not always possible to say if gum disease is a direct contributor to heart problems. However, the link is strong enough that doctors and dentists recommend good oral health as part of having a healthy heart.
What the Research Says
Most research has found a close relationship between gum disease and heart disease. Even though your teeth and heart do not seem to have anything in common, science shows that problems in your mouth can affect your heart’s health.
Here are some important findings from recent studies:
Patients with gum disease have 2 to 3 times the risk of developing serious heart issues, such as a heart attack, stroke, or other heart conditions. This means that gum disease may be an early signal of imminent heart issues.
A research report published in the medical journal Circulation found gum disease inflammation might boost the threat of narrowed arteries. If the arteries become congested, the blood is unable to reach as far up towards the heart, which elevates the danger for heart attack and high blood pressure and other circulatory diseases.
Another BMJ Open study found that treating gum disease can lower blood pressure. High blood pressure is one of the biggest risk factors for heart disease, so this is important. Taking care of your gums might be a simple way to benefit your heart.
While more research is needed to understand the connection between gum disease and heart disease, most health experts already agree: taking care of your gums and teeth is good for your heart too.
Brushing, flossing, and dental visits can reduce your risk of gum disease. And in defending your gums, you may also be defending your heart.
Signs of Gum Disease to Watch For
Gum disease most often starts without hurting. That is why it is important to know the warning signs. If you catch gum disease early, you can avoid developing serious problems — not only in your mouth, but in your body, even in your heart.
The following are the typical warning signs of gum disease that you should look out for:
Red, sore, or swollen gums: Healthy gums are pink and firm. If your gums are red, puffy, or sore, it may be a sign of gum infection.
Bleeding gums: If your gums bleed when you brush or floss, that’s not normal. It can be a sign of gingivitis, the first stage of gum disease.
Chronic bad breath: Also known as chronic bad breath, this may be caused by bacteria that form in your mouth due to gum disease.
Gums that recede: If the gums are receding from around your teeth, your teeth will start to seem longer. This is a sign that the gums are being damaged.
Loose or sensitive teeth: Gum disease can destroy the bone that supports your teeth so that they are loose or even more sensitive than usual.
Pain on chewing: This could be a sign that the infection has spread to more advanced areas of the gum or even the bone.
How to Protect Your Gums and Your Heart
Caring for your mouth is not just about a pretty smile: it can also help prevent diseases in your heart. There have been many studies linking gum disease with diseases in the heart, and here’s the great news for you: with better oral hygiene, the chances of diseases in the heart and your mouth go down the drain.
Here are six simple and effective methods to protect both your gums and your heart:
1. Brush and Floss Daily
Brush your teeth at least twice a day to remove food particles and plaque — a sticky film of bacteria that can be harmful to your gums. Brush using a soft-bristled toothbrush and fluoride toothpaste.
Daily flossing is also important. It removes plaque and food particles stuck between your teeth that a toothbrush can’t reach. This prevents your gums from becoming irritated, swollen, and infected.
2. Visit Your Dentist Regularly
Most people go to the dentist only when they are experiencing pain, but regular dental visits are very important. Dentists can identify gum disease early, often before any symptoms are experienced.
You should visit your dentist at least every six months for a cleaning and examination. These visits eliminate tartar (hardened plaque) and detect small problems before they become serious.
3. Quit Smoking
Smoking is a significant risk factor for gum disease and heart disease. Smoking weakens your immune system, making it harder for your body to fight off infections, including gum infections.
Smoking also harms your heart by injuring your blood vessels and increasing the risk of heart attacks. Quitting smoking is one of the best things you can do for your overall health.
4. Eat a Heart-Healthy and Tooth-Friendly Diet
What you eat affects both your heart and your mouth. Choose foods that are rich in:
Fiber (like fruits, vegetables, and whole grains)
Healthy fats (like nuts, seeds, and olive oil)
Antioxidants (leafy greens, berries, green tea)
Limit foods that contain high amounts of sugar, salt, and saturated fat. Sweet foods and drinks give energy to the harmful bacteria in your mouth that can cause plaque and gum problems. A healthy diet also maintains your weight, blood sugar, and cholesterol levels.
5. Manage Other Health Conditions
Medical conditions like diabetes, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol place you at higher risk for gum disease and heart disease. If you have one of these conditions, it is important to get it well controlled by:
Taking medications as prescribed
Following your physician’s advice
Eating a healthy diet and exercising
Managing these conditions reduces inflammation in your body, which protects your gums and your heart.
6. Reduce Stress
Stress affects your whole body, even your gums and heart. Stress lowers your immune system and makes your body produce more inflammation, which can worsen gum disease and heart disease.
Try simple steps to manage stress, such as:
- Regular exercise or walking
- Meditating or deep breathing
- Talking to someone you trust
- Getting enough sleep
Here are Some Resources for More Information
- American Heart Association – Learn how oral health is connected to heart health, and why taking care of your gums might help reduce heart disease risk. ( https://www.heart.org/en/health-topics/oral-health#:~:text=improve%20your%20health!-,Act%20now%20to%20improve%20your%20oral%20health%20and%20heart%20health,sugars%20and%20processed%20grain%20foods. )
- National Institutes of Health (NIH) – This page explains how gum disease can affect other parts of the body, including the heart and other organs. ( https://www.nidcr.nih.gov/health-info/gum-disease/more-info )
In Last
Your gums play a vital role in your health, and your mouth is the entrance to your body. Gum disease is not just a problem for your teeth — it can increase your risk for serious heart conditions like heart attacks and strokes.
The good news is that you can protect your gums and your heart by doing a few easy things: brush and floss daily, visit your dentist regularly, eat healthily, don’t smoke, and look after stress and medical conditions like diabetes.
Caring for your mouth is an easy and effective way to care for your whole body.
A healthy smile can actually lead to a healthy heart!
