03/06/2025
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Research points to an association between the health of your gums and cardiovascular disease. The common link? Inflammation.
Inflammation is your body’s natural response to handle injuries, bacteria or illness. It’s how your body jumpstarts the healing process, whether for a sprained ankle, a paper cut or the common cold.
This type of “good” inflammation typically disappears quickly once the issue is addressed.
But sometimes, inflammation doesn’t just go away. It lingers and puts stress on your body. Chronic inflammation is a common factor in numerous health conditions — including gum disease and heart disease.
Oral and heart disease can both be linked to chronic inflammation, so that’s always created the suspicion that there is a link between the two.
Chronic gum inflammation may be associated with higher blood pressure and coronary artery disease. Additionally, in some situations where there’s a mouth infection or bleeding related to a dental procedure, bacteria can travel through the bloodstream to heart valves or other heart structures and cause endocarditis. (People with prosthetic heart valves are at the highest risk for this and are therefore advised to take preventive antibiotics before dental work.)
The overlap between gum disease and heart disease also might be explained by less-than-ideal lifestyle habits that fuel both conditions. The list includes:
-Unhealthy food. Filling your plate with high-sugar and high-fat foods can take a toll on your gums and heart over time. Making more nutritious choices, on the other hand, lowers your risk of issues.
-Alcohol consumption. Research shows that excessive or even regular consumption of alcohol can be harmful to both your heart and your gums.
-Smoking. Toxic chemicals in ci******es harm just about every part of your body, including your heart and mouth. Research shows smoking is a major risk factor for both heart disease and gum disease.
Keeping up with your oral hygiene routine is a good place to start when it comes to trying to protect your heart through your gums. That means brushing your teeth twice a day for two minutes each time, flossing and one to two dental visits a year.
