Dentistry is usually thought of as a separate part of your health, and not really related to things such as heart disease or Alzheimer’s. When you think of your oral health, usually cavities, gum disease and brushing your teeth come to mind, but according to the Mayo Clinic, your oral health is “the window to overall health” and issues in your mouth may affect, be affected by or contribute to various diseases and conditions. Some of these conditions include endocarditis, cardiovascular disease, pregnancy and birth issues, diabetes, HIV/AIDS, osteoporosis, and Alzheimer’s disease. These conditions are associated with the presence of gum disease and the effect that it has on the bacteria in your mouth.
The American Association for Dental Research (AADR) recently acknowledged the very comprehensive review of literature undertaken by the American Heart Association (AHA) on the relationship between periodontal disease and heart disease. This review, published online for the journal Circulation, included reviews of more than 40 epidemiologic observational studies and concluded that those studies did support an association between periodontal disease and atherosclerotic vascular disease (ASVD).
The study was unable to demonstrate support that a cause-effect relationship exists between the two conditions or that periodontal treatment might prevent ASVD or modify its outcome. A main issue that the authors of the study encountered was a lack of long-term studies on the effects of periodontal treatment and its relationship to cardiovascular health. According to the AARD president, Rena D’Souza, “The validation of an association between periodontal disease and heart disease from the American Heart Association is an important statement from a public policy perspective,” The findings of this study are an important statement to researchers, practitioners and the public that more research is required to fully understand the relationship our oral health has to our overall health.
According to Livestrong.com, research by the AHA states that heart disease, which causes heart attacks and strokes, kills more people than all forms of cancer combined in America and is one of our top health concerns. Fully understanding the causes for cardiovascular diseases is essential to creating a solution and research such as this study give us a different look at how we view our health.
Proper oral hygiene and regular dental exams are the best actions to prevent periodontal disease, also known as gingivitis. This includes brushing your teeth at least twice a day, daily flossing, replacing your toothbrush every three to four months, and eating a healthy diet and limiting snacks between meals. There is not a cure for periodontal disease but the goal of treatment is to reduce inflammation of the gums and remove bacteria through procedures such as scaling and root planing.