Tooth decay can trigger heart attack 8212; Dentists

There is increasing evidence of a link between dental health and heart disease, especially in 40-50 year-old men, said Dr Richard Mascola, a dentist from the Nassau Country Medical Centre in Mineola, USA, and president of the American Dental Association .

Patients with periodontal disease are twice as likely to suffer from coronary artery disease than a person who is free fromsuch disease, he said. However, more studies are needed to determine the exact relationship between these two seemingly unrelated diseases, he added. For patients with gum infections, daily activities like brushing teeth or chewing could allow bacteria to enter the blood and be carried throughout the body, Dr Prakash said.

The bacteria attach themselves to fatty acids and clogged blood vessels, helping form clots and triggering a heart attack and stroke.Gum infections can also increase the risk of diabetes, respiratory disease and premature delivery in pregnancy.

Bacteria found in the throat or mouth could enter the lower respiratory tract, causing infections or worsening existing lung conditions, Dr Prakash said, adding it is a new risk factor for respiratory tract infections.

Bacterial respiratory tract infections could be acquired by inhalation of fine droplets from the mouth and throat into the lungs or upper respiratory tract. These droplets contain bacteria that originate in the oralcavity.

Once in the lungs, these bacteria can multiply to cause lung diseases like pneumonia. Bacteria from the oral cavity can also be drawn into the lower respiratory tract causing infections or worsening existing lung conditions, he said.

With patients of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, removal of the bacteria is more difficult due to the patients8217; poor immunity, he added.Research has also shown that the prevalence of periodontal disease is greater in diabetics than in non-diabetics, probably becuase diabetics are more susceptible to infections, Dr Prakash said. Periodontal disease affects pregnancy too by altering the hormonal balance in the body. Pregnant women with the disease could give birth to a malformed baby because of improper womb development, Dr Mascola said.

Pregnant women should take utmost care about their teeth, particularly during the first three months of pregnancy which is the womb development period, he said.

A recent study of periodontal infections in pregnant women foundthe likelihood of delivering a low-weight baby before the 37th week of pregnancy was greater in women with such disease, Dr Prakash said.

Though tobacco, genetics, drugs and alcohol, malnutrition and urinary tract infections have been identified for 25 per cent of deliveries of premature babies, periodontal disease also contribute significantly to the cause, he added.