The relationship between periodontitis and heart disease is also not fully understood, but the correlation is there. In fact, one study found that the presence of gum disease and other common dental problems were as accurate as cholesterol levels for predicting heart disease.
And right now, people with heart problems are usually prescribed prophylactic antibiotics before dental procedures to help keep oral bacteria from infecting heart tissue.
An association between periodontal disease and stroke has also been identified. One recent study showed people with acute cerebrovascular ischemia were more likely to have an oral infection than those who were not diagnosed with ischemia.
Please feel free to call our office if you have questions or concerns about periodontal disease and its relationship to cardiovascular disease.