The Relationship Between Oral Health and Heart Disease
Emerging research has established a concerning link between oral health and heart issues. Gum disease, for example, can trigger cardiovascular problems and increase the risk of having a heart attack. Tooth decay and other oral infections in childhood can contribute to atherosclerosis (clogged arteries) in adulthood.
2022
Unexpected Relationships: Periodontal Diseases: Atherosclerosis–Plaque Destabilization? From the Teeth to a Coronary Event
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8869674
Taking into account that lifestyle modifications are the cornerstones in the prevention and treatment of ASCVD, in the assessment of cardiovascular risk, PD should be sought, considered and prevented, and, if necessary, periodontal treatment recommended.
Oral Disease and Atherosclerosis May Be Associated with Overlapping Metabolic Pathways
https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/23800844241280383
The discovery of a common sphingomyelin metabolite in both disease processes is a novel finding suggesting that gingivitis and periodontitis may be associated with some overlapping metabolic pathways associated with ASCVD and indicating potential shared mechanisms among these diseases.
Childhood oral health linked to elevated atherosclerosis risk in adults
2021
Oral health and atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease: A review
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666667721000349
Despite the lack of causality, PD and ASCVD are inflammatory diseases that share many common pathophysiological mechanisms and risk factors. However, efforts aimed at improving awareness and prevention of PD as a risk factor for ASCVD should not be delayed while awaiting greater proof of. Increased public and provider awareness, and interdisciplinary research and clinical collaborations (related to screening, prevention and referrals), combined with ongoing dental health care policy reforms may greatly reduce the high prevalence of PD and the associated burden of CVD in the U.S. population.
Gum disease and heart disease: The common thread
https://www.health.harvard.edu/heart-health/gum-disease-and-heart-disease-the-common-thread
To explore the connections between oral and heart health, Dr. Hasturk and her colleagues used rabbits fed cholesterol-rich diets as a model to mimic human heart disease. Some of the rabbits were then infected with bacteria known to cause periodontal disease. Those rabbits developed atherosclerotic plaques that were less stable (and therefore more likely to cause a heart attack) and also had higher blood levels of inflammation than the rabbits that had not been exposed to the gum disease bacteria.
Periodontal Disease and Atherosclerotic Cardiovascular Disease: A Scientific Statement From the American Heart Association
https://www.ahajournals.org/doi/10.1161/CIR.0000000000001390
However, there is strong evidence that treating periodontal disease improves intermediate outcome measures, such as BP, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol level, and inflammatory markers. This is an important finding because these outcome measures are known to increase future cardiovascular risk and provide a possible link between periodontal disease and ASCVD.
2026
Association between atherosclerosis and tooth loss in adult patients: systematic review and meta-analysis
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41432-026-01215-1
The evidence confirmed an association between missing teeth and atherosclerosis. However, because of the included studies, this association cannot be interpreted as a clinical predictor or as a consequence of atherosclerosis. In this context, future research should examine the potential of tooth loss as an indicator that clusters with atherosclerotic burden and other related systemic factors.
2013 The occurrence of dental caries is associated with atherosclerosis
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3714742
This study shows for the first time that periodontitis and dental caries may both be associated with atherosclerosis. This finding and the inverse association between restoration and atherosclerosis must be confirmed in prospective studies with a longitudinal design. Only in this way can a possible causality between odontogenic inflammation and atherosclerosis be verified or ruled out.