A study has found that people with active periodontitis, orgum disease, have a greater risk of experiencing major cardiovascular events, such as heart attacks and strokes.
People who have had gum disease in the past but no longer have inflamed gums do not appear to be at greater risk.
The study suggests that gum disease leads to increased arterial inflammation, which is responsible for cardiovascular events.
Periodontitis, or gum disease, is a serious infection of the soft tissues that surround the teeth. Without treatment, gum disease can lead to bone destruction and, ultimately, tooth loss.
Bacteria in dental plaque, or tartar, cause gum disease by triggering an inflammatory response that steadily erodes soft tissue and bone.
In the early stages of the disease, called gingivitis, the gums become swollen and red and may bleed. Without treatment, the gums may start to recede from the teeth, there may be bone loss, and the teeth can loosen or fall out.
Dentists recommend using a soft toothbrush twice a day and flossing once a day to prevent the buildup of plaque and reduce the chances of gum disease.
They also recommend undergoing scaling and debridement twice a year, which is the only way to remove plaque that has built up below the gumline.
The incidence of gum disease increases with age. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 47.2% of people aged at least 30 years in the United States have gum disease to some degree. This figure increases to 70.1% among people aged at least 65 years.
There is a clear association between gum disease and a wide range of illnesses that involve inflammation, including Alzheimer’s disease, cancer, respiratory disease, and heart disease.
However, scientists have found it challenging to prove a direct, causal link between gum disease and these conditions because they have several risk factors in common, such as smoking.
A new study led by researchers at two institutions in Massachusetts, the Harvard School of Dental Medicine, in Boston, and the Forsyth Institute, in Cambridge, among others, provides evidence that gum disease really can set people on the road to major cardiovascular events, such as strokes and heart attacks.
