A team of researchers has found a significant link between tooth loss and an increased risk of death from cardiovascular disease.
- A team of American researchers has found a “significant link” between tooth loss and an increased risk of death from cardiovascular disease, the leading cause of death worldwide.
- People who lost several teeth during their lifetime, regardless of age, were 66% more likely to die from heart problems compared to those who kept all their teeth.
- “Our results clearly show that tooth loss is not just a dental problem, but an important predictor of cardiovascular disease mortality,” the scientists said.
Taking care of your oral hygiene is crucial, whether it’s for chewing properly, keeping your breath fresh or having a radiant smile, but also for maintaining a healthy heart, according to a new study from Case Western Reserve University in the United States. A team of researchers from the School of Dentistry has found a “meaningful connection” between tooth loss and an increased risk of death from cardiovascular disease, the leading cause of death worldwide.
Losing teeth increases risk of heart problems by 66%
To reach this conclusion, detailed in the Journal of Endodonticsscientists compiled dozens of studies from the scientific literature over the past few years, looking for evidence to support this. They found that people who lost several teeth during their lifetime, regardless of age, were 66% more likely to die from heart problems than those who had kept all their teeth. “Although the results of the studies vary, overall they have always reached the same conclusion.”they say in a communicated.
For people who had lost all their teeth, the risk of dying from cardiovascular disease was “even higher”. According to Professor Anita Aminoshariae, lead author of the research, “the magic number is ten” : Study participants who had ten or fewer teeth remaining were most likely to develop heart problems as they aged, regardless of other factors such as diet, exercise or health history.
Maintaining your oral health to preserve your heart
It should be noted that this study does not establish a causal link between tooth loss and cardiovascular risk, but only a “predictive risk factor”. “Our results clearly show that tooth loss is not only a dental problem, but an important predictor of cardiovascular disease mortality. […] Hence the importance of carrying out regular dental examinations and preventive care, in order to reduce the risk of serious cardiovascular events.”
This is not the first study to highlight a link between tooth loss and cardiovascular disease. Work presented at an American Heart Association conference in 2018 estimated that losing two or more teeth from the age of 50 increases the risk of developing heart disease by 25%.
