Heart Health and Oral Health Link

The next time Dr. Belsito at Belsitodental.com or Janice our dental hygienist probes into your mouth we may be getting a sneak peak as to what's happening to your heart. Continuing research at Columbia University suggests more trips to the dentist may be just what the cardiologist ordered."What we do not know is the nature of the association. We do not know if the nature of the association is casual, or not, or whether it's due to chance alone," Dr. Moise Desvarieux, of Columbia University, said.For over a decade, scientists have been studying the relationship between a build up of plaque on the gums and a build up of plaque in the arteries. Experts want to know if bacteria from gum disease travels from the mouth to other organs or if the body overreacts to the bacteria by creating inflammation in the blood vessels."We're very careful to be sure of what we're seeing, that it's not simply a manifestation of two diseases that have common risk to factors," Desvarieux said.Researchers measured the extent of gum disease in study participants and compared it to ultrasound measurements of the carotid artery.The Columbia teams say their findings shows that aggressively treating periodontal disease can reduce levels of proteins associated with an increased risk for heart disease. It's one more way Americans can take charge of their heart health."Our goal is to find out the truth, because periodontal disease is so prevalent, that if indeed it contributes something to cardiovascular disease, it's very important to know that. It's also very preventable," Desvarieux said.

In the interest of better oral health,

Dr. GJA Belsito BSc,DDS,FAGD,FADI, FACD, Cert. IV sedation / Belsitodental.com

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