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Cavities can cause deadly heart disease. Inflammation from periodontal disease can lead to an increased risk of heart disease. Photo/Getty Images
JAKARTA – Cavities could cause heart disease which is deadly. A Journal of the American Heart Association study found that inflammation from periodontal disease can lead to an increased risk of heart disease.
Periodontal disease causes the gums to pull away from the teeth, creating gaps below the gum line where bacteria can hide and grow. From this gap, bacteria can enter the bloodstream and move to the heart arteries.
If the bacteria in your heart arteries harden, it can cause a condition called atherosclerosis. This condition causes plaque to grow on the inner walls of the heart arteries, which can restrict blood flow throughout the body, causing heart disease.
“It’s called a focal infection, so if you have a cavity in your tooth, don’t treat it, don’t do anything about it, form the body’s defense against infection, leave it alone and it can go to the heart and everywhere. “So it causes death, indirect to death, so it doesn’t cause direct death,” said the Chairman of the Executive Board of the Indonesian Dentists Association (PDGI) Drg Usman Sumantri, MSc in a Webinar, Tuesday (12/9/2023).
On the other hand, General Chair of the Association of Indonesian Dental Faculties (AFDOKGI) Prof Drg Suryono, SH, MM, Ph.D also explained that dead cavities can be a focal point for infection and a source of bacteria because they contain many germs.
“When the body experiences fatigue and decreased immunity, it will spread along our blood vessels, to the heart, kidneys, etc.,” explained Prof. Suryono.
Prof. Suryono added that several studies suggest there is a relationship between systemic diseases and dental and oral health conditions. For example, diabetes can be seen from the perspective of the oral cavity. People with high sugar levels usually have characteristics such as loose teeth and secondly, their breath smells like acetone.
“There is a reciprocal relationship when our oral hygiene conditions are poor, it will trigger inflammatory substances to increase blood sugar levels,” said Prof Suryono.
“And vice versa, when blood sugar levels can be controlled, the health of the teeth and mouth, which were previously shaken by sugar, will be controlled. If the heart is infected, the spread of germs will disrupt our heart valves,” he continued.
For this reason, doctors recommend checking your teeth regularly every six months. That way, if there are dental problems they can be treated early.
(dra)
2023-09-12 14:20:00
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