Patient Education

Oral Health and Heart Disease

A New England Journal of Medicine article published in early March by Maurizio Tonetti, DMD, PhD and his colleagues confirms the intuition of oral health practitioners worldwide: oral health has a direct impact on the general well-being of the individual. Tonetti’s study measured, in 120 subjects, the effect on endothelial functioning of intensive treatment of periodontitis. Endothelial dysfunction, or atherosclerosis, is commonly known as “hardening of the arteries”, and is one of many symptoms associated with poor cardiovascular health. Previous studies showed a causal relation between chronic inflammatory conditions and risk of atherosclerosis; accordingly, Tonetti wanted to see specifically this behavior in gum disease. His study measured endothelial functioning in one group of patients, who received community-based periodontal care, versus another group, who received more aggressive treatment. The endothelial health was measured by examining the dilation of the main artery in the arm, the brachial artery. In the intensive group, dilation of the brachial artery was lower than that of the control group 24 hours after treatment; however, six months later, dilation in the intensive group was notably higher. This is a breakthrough in that Tonetti’s experiment was the first to show the link between oral and cardiovascular health. A similar inquiry by Captain G. Todd Smith, DDS, MSD in the Indian Health Service is looking for a connection between gum disease and other diseases, like diabetes, heart disease, lung disease and low birth weight infants. The results expand a growing body of evidence proving that a healthy mouth and teeth are integral parts of a healthy body.

Abstract of Tonetti’s article in the New England Journal of Medicine