[toc]Tooth decay or dental caries is caused by bacteria that are present in the plaque build up formed on the teeth as a result of food debris that sticks over the teeth. These bacteria of the dental plaque are also known to lead to blood clot formation within the arteries. These potentially fatal clots when get released in the blood stream induces heart attacks.
The tooth decay results in inflammation of the walls lining the blood vessels which can give rise to symptom of pain in the left arm or chest region, indicating the person is going through a heart attack. It is crucial to not ignore any signs of tooth decay as it may possibly lead to ailments of cardiovascular diseases too. Associated conditions of tooth decay and heart disease.
Tooth Decay And Heart Disease
Coronary Artery Disease
A poor dental hygiene that cause tooth decay leads to a pro inflammatory state in the arteries, supplying blood to heart and may block those with varying degrees resulting in coronary artery disease. There seems to be a strong association between the tooth decay and artery disease of the heart. Hence, proper dental care is as vital for heart as for teeth.
Endocarditis
Endocarditis is a serious infection of heart where one of the four heart valves undergoes serious infection. Though, it is uncommon but can be observed in people with poor dental hygiene as tooth decay occurs due to mouth infections during dental procedures, or improper brushing that result in bacterial spread to the bloodstream.
These bacteria through blood may reach the heart and infect one or more valves of the heart, causing endocarditis. A person is bound to be at high risk for endocarditis if born with complex defects of the heart. Heart transplant patients or those who had valve replacements in the past are also in the high risk group.
Everyone with major tooth decay not necessarily is at risk of endocarditis as the bacteria that may have reached the bloodstream from decaying tooth infection gets cleared out by the healthy immune system. Those with weakened immunity will be highly likely for endocarditis to happen as an aftermath affect of tooth decay.
Increased Risk Of Heart Disease
There is a high risk of heart disease in young adults. Heart disease is found to be twice high in individuals with periodontal disease. The plague bacteria that get deposited in tooth or gums promote the blood clots formation and it leads to clot development within a few minutes.
The common bacterial strain present in dental plague enhances blood clot formation and induce heart attack by releasing the blood clots in the blood stream. Moreover, build up of plague also leads to chronic inflammation that in turn cause inflammation of blood vessels linings leading to plague build up in the arteries, further enhancing the risk of heart diseases.
There is known to be a close knit connection between tooth decay, gum disease and heart attacks. Individuals with poor dental health provides oral bacteria with an increased access to blood, increasing likelihood of heart valve infections.
Prompt Dental Treatment For Lowering Heart Disease
People affected with dental problems need to get treated as early as possible, in the initial days of the trouble itself. Any delay in treatment can aggravate the problem causing severe tooth decay, where one may experience intense tooth pain, pain in chest or left arm as signal of oral problems and heart disease.
But, due to painful tooth, usually chest pain is overshadowed or ignored that may result in massive heart attack even in young and otherwise healthy adults.
