Click To Call Bad breath is more than an inconvenience, it may signal poor oral health, a risk factor for heart disease. Recent studies have implicated tooth decay and gum disease as contributing factors to heart attack and stroke.
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Bad Breath a Bad Sign for Your Heart


Posted on Jan 29, 2009

Most people believe that bad breath just meant that you didn't brush well or ate too much garlic.  Though bad breath may be socially uncouth, not many people consider halitosis a precursor to health problems.  However, emerging research shows that chronic bad breath may be an indication that your heart is unhealthy.

The Mayo Clinic reports that researchers have found that poor oral heath such as gum disease and tooth decay can indicate health problems such as heart disease, diabetes, HIV/AIDS and certain cancers.  Researchers believe that in the case of heart disease poor oral health actually causes disease elsewhere in the body. 

Heart disease is the number one killer in the world and according to the World Health Organization it accounts for over 17 million deaths each year.  Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States, England, Canada, Wales and New Zealand.

So how does oral health affect your heart?  Gum disease leads to heart problems when the bad bacteria in your mouth overpower the good bacteria.  This imbalance can lead to gum disease which in turn can allow the bad bacteria to enter the blood stream.  Once this happens the bacteria can travel to other parts of the body, including the heart.

Tooth decay is another breeding ground for the bacteria and serious decay opens another portal to the blood stream and in turn the heart.  Some of the bad bacteria, of which there are up to seven hundred strains, attach to cell platelets.  These altered platelets can cause clots and reduce blood flow.

Steve Kerrigan of the Royal College of Surgeons says, "The mouth is probably the dirtiest place in the human body.  If you have an open blood vessel from bleeding gums, bacteria will gain entry to your bloodstream."

So what can you do to prevent the overpopulation of bad bacteria in your mouth and lower your risk of heart disease?  Follow this link to find out more about how to prevent tooth decay and gum disease.

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