Can Poor Dental Hygenie Lead To Heart Disease?
Question: A friend told me that poor dental hygiene can lead to heart problems down the road. How can tooth decay cause heart problems? Answer: In general, it is true that poor dental hygiene and tooth decay can lead to certain heart problems. There are two specific heart conditions that have been associated with heart disease that I would like to discuss: coronary artery disease and endocarditis. Coronary artery disease (CAD) occurs when one or more arteries that supply blood to the heart muscle itself gets blocked to varying degrees by things such as cholesterol build-up. There is evidence that CAD is an inflammatory process. It is thought that poor dental hygiene allows a pro-inflammatory state that is associated with CAD. I must emphasize that this is not a proven cause but studies have shown an association with tooth decay and CAD. Endocarditis is an uncommon but serious infection of one of the four valves in the heart. Patients at most risk for this type of infection are those wh
