08/06/2025
Poor oral hygiene causes serious health problems — including heart failure.
Gum disease and oral infections can cause inflammation and allow harmful bacteria to enter the bloodstream.
Once there, these bacteria can stick to blood vessel walls and even reach the heart, increasing the risk of serious conditions like heart attacks, strokes, and infective endocarditis — a life-threatening heart infection.
A key culprit is periodontitis, a severe gum disease caused by plaque buildup over time. Everyday activities like brushing, flossing, or chewing can give bacteria access to your blood if your gums are already damaged.
This triggers a constant immune response, which raises inflammation levels in the body. That inflammation can damage blood vessels and make it easier for heart disease to develop. Studies show people with gum disease are up to twice as likely to develop heart problems.
Other factors like smoking, poor diet, and diabetes also affect both oral and heart health, making it harder to separate the causes. But the overlap strengthens the case for treating the body as a connected system. Researchers also believe changes in the mouth’s microbiome—where harmful bacteria outnumber the good—can make inflammation worse and lead to artery damage. While brushing and flossing won’t prevent all heart disease, good oral hygiene is a simple way to reduce your overall health risk. Regular dental care, treating gum disease early, and habits like brushing your tongue can all help. Doctors and dentists are starting to work together more closely, with dentists checking for heart risk and cardiologists asking about oral health.
learn more https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/oral-health/articles/10.3389/froh.2025.1438026/full
