TUESDAY, July 30, 2024 (HealthDay News) — A healthy mouth also means a healthy heart, according to a new study.
People who are missing teeth are more likely to die from heart disease, and the more teeth you’re missing, the higher your risk, researchers found.
“Our findings clearly show that tooth loss is not just a dental issue but an important predictor of mortality from cardiovascular disease,” said lead researcher Anita Aminoshariae, PhD, a professor at the Case Western Reserve University School of Dentistry in Cleveland.
“Good oral health is essential not only for a healthy smile, but also for a healthy heart,” Aminoshariae added in a Case Western news release. “This study highlights the importance of regular dental checkups and preventive care to reduce the risk of serious cardiovascular disease.”
For the new review, the researchers combined data from 12 previous studies that looked at the link between tooth loss and heart-related death.
The data revealed that people who were missing some teeth were 66% more likely to die from heart disease than those with no missing teeth.
People who had lost all their teeth had a higher risk of heart-related death, the study found.
This new study recently Journal of Endodontics.
The researchers noted that the risk rises sharply once people have 10 or fewer teeth.
“The magic number is 10,” Aminoshariae says. “If you have fewer than 10 teeth, you’re in trouble.”
For more information
The American Heart Association goes into more detail about the connection between oral health and heart health.
Source: Case Western Reserve University, news release, July 25, 2024
