MICROBIOLOGY CONNECTING GUM DISEASE AND HEART DISEASE

A Swedish team has unravelled the connection between gum disease (periodontitis) and heart disease (atherosclerosis) and the culprit's name is: Porphyromonas gingivalis.

This bacterium is a common constituent in dental plaque but also appears in the plaque to be found within blood vessels which forms the cholesterol build up that leads to blockage and heart attacks.

The role that this bacterium plays in the mechanism that leads to heart disease is that it alters the expression of the genes within the blood vessels leading to the heart that cause inflammation (as it does in the gums).

Studies have shown that P. gingivalis is present in the walls of blood vessels of heart attack victims. It has also been shown to be present in and lead to clogging of the aorta, the main blood vessel leading from the heart.

Severe cases of periodontitis can be treated with antibiotics; but as always prevention is better. Regular home maintenance with two, two-minute brushing sessions plus inter-dental cleaning with floss and inter-dental brushes coupled with regular hygiene appointments for sub-gingival cleaning is therefore recommended.