Heart Health

Brushing, Flossing & maintaining good oral hygiene are important for protecting your HEART. No, that’s not a typo, you read that correctly. Poor dental hygiene can increase your risk of developing heart diseases, heart attack and even stroke. While the two seem to be far from having any connections, there are multiple studies that have confirmed a strong correlation between bad oral bacteria and heart disease conditions. Zoom in to see the strange but significant heart and teeth connection

Oral Microbiome: The Good, The Bad, & The Ugly

Your mouth is an open portal to multiple tiny bacterias, viruses and fungi. It contains its own colony of these microbes, which are known as oral microbiomes. These microbes usually stay in harmony and balance, and that’s pretty much normal. But when dysbiosis occurs, where the bad bacterias take over the good ones is where all the problems start. Bad bacterias in the oral cavity can lead to various problems such as dental caries, gum infections, bad breath, etc. 

Effect of Oral Microbiome on Dental Health

Some of the most common dental health issues include
Dental Caries( Cavity): Certain strains of bacteria thrive on sugary foods. They ferment these sugars to produce an acid, which leads to the demineralisation of the tooth enamel and the formation of dental cavities.

Periodontitis and Gingivitis 

An inflammation of the gums which tends to extend to the bones & gums of the tooth. It is characterized by deep pocket formation between the tooth & gums and is one of the leading causes of tooth loss.

Halitosis

Certain bacteria break down food particles in your mouth to produce volatile sulfur compounds that cause you to have bad breath. Dehydration, certain foods and poor oral hygiene promote the growth of these odour-producing bacterias.

Effect of Oral Microbiome on Systemic Health

The effect of oral microbiome is not limited to just your oral health but it has an impact on your digestive system, respiratory system, cardiovascular system etc.The bacterias that cause inflammation in your oral cavity can enter the bloodstream and cause inflammatory responses throughout the body. Before we explore the intricate relationship cardiovascular disease and oral health, here is a small brief on cardiovascular disease

Cardiovascular disease

Cardiovascular disease is a group of disorders involvng the heart and blood vessels such as coronary heart disease, heart failure, stroke, arrythymia etc.. There are many risk factors for CVD  such as hypertension, obesity, high cholesterol levels, smoking, sedentary lifestyle and diabetes. Strangely, oral microbiome has also been observed to be a strong risk factor for cardiovascular disease.

Oral Microbiome & Heart Health Connection

The oral cavity serves as a doorway for disease causing pathogens to travel into the bloodstream and affect the heart health. Following are some possible mechanisms by which they bring about heart problems

Spreads Inflammation

Dental bacterias causing inflammatory conditions of the gums tend to travel from blood to the arteries of the heart. Over a period of time these bacterias residing in the arteries tend to damage and make them more prone to atherosclerosis by making conditions favourable for fat deposits within.

Bacterial Translocation

Bacterias from inflamed and bleeding gums have the tendency to cause or worsen existing  heart conditions such as coronary heart disease and endocarditis( inflammation of inner lining of heart).This increases risk for heart attack & stroke

Overactive Immune response

With Increased inflammation from the oral bacteria’s the immune system may exhibit cross reactivity. A situation in which the over active immune system gets confused & attacks its own cells, adding to more inflammation of the blood vessels thereby increasing the risk of heart disease

Decreased Nitric Oxide 

Nitric Oxide is a vital chemical needed for healthy blood vessels. It acts as a vasodilator, helping in smooth passage of blood flow withinn the arteries.The good bacteria from our oral microbiome assists in production of this NO from nitrates in the food. With a dysbiosis of these bacteria, NO production decreases, leading to pooor blood flow, increased inflammation, increased blood pressure all of which negatively affect the heart health.

Ways To Prevent Cardiac Problems Through Oral Hygiene

Oral Care and heart disease prevention go hand in hand. While oral microbiome can cause some serious heart health issues, prevention from these is quite simple if one practices simple dental hygiene habits on consistent basis.

Regular Brushing

Brushing your teeth twice a day with aflouride based toothpaste, will not just keep those plaques and tartar at bay but also prevent harmful plaque causing bacterias from entering your bloodstream and affecting your cardiovascular system.

Regular Flossing

Flossing can go a long way in preventing inflammation caused by food debris stuck between the tooth and gums. Flossing helps getting rid of inflammation causing bacterias that cannot be reached by regular brushing.

Annual Dental Check ups

Prevention is always better than cure. And regular dental visit can be extreme helpful in preventing oral/ gum diseases with early detection. Getting cleaning done from professional can help you remove that stubborn tartar or plaques which is not possible through regular brushing 
or flossing.

Oil Pulling

An ancient method of pulling out bad bacteria from oral cavity which involves swishing oil in the mouth & spitting it out. This popular traditional method offers many benefits including prevention of gum diseases, dental caries and fighting off bad breath.

Abstain from Smoking

Nicotine and tar from tobacco along with other toxic chemicals  not just cause discoloration of tooth and bad breath, but they also inflame the gums, promote tooth decay and weaken the immune system owing slow recover/healing of bacterial infections in the mouth. Thus refraining from smoking promotes dental hygiene and heart disease prevention both

Additional ways to protect the Oral health & Heart

Healthy Diet

A healthy diet rich in fiber and antioxidants  is not just beneficial for the heart but for your oral health as well. Similarly Diet rich in processed and sugary foods impair heart health by accumulation of fats in blood vessels and bacterial growth in oral cavity. A healthy diet also prevents obesity one of the major risk factor for cardiovascular disease.

Regular Exercise

Regular physical activity such as brisk walking, jogging, running, swimming or cycling improves blood circulation to both the heart and gums of the teeth thereby preventing the risk of heart diseases.

Limiting Alcohol

Excessive alcohol can reduce saliva production creating an environment favourable for bacterial growth. Similarly excessive alcohol also puts a pressure on the heart by increasing blood pressure and damaging the muscles of the heart. Thus cutting down on alcohol consumption can help in oral as well as cardiac health.

Summary

Do not underestimate the power of maintaining good oral hygiene. Cardiovascular disease and oral health are strongly interlinked. Regular, brushing, flossing and other oral hygiene practices such as oil pulling has a long term benefit on your overall health. Oral health diseases can contribute to severe cardiovascular problems if not taken care of. While an infected tooth or gum disease will not cause an overnight heart attack or stroke, when left untreated for a long time, it can increase your risk of developing them. The article above explores the cardiovascular disease & oral health connection.