Healthy Teeth are Important for a Healthy Heart!

Good dental hygiene Isn’t just about a pretty smile, it is important to your heart’s health! Ferguson Dental recommends routine dental visits for adults and children at least every six months.

The Heart of the Matter
By C. CLAIBORNE RAY
Q.Are oral plaque, coronary vessel plaque and eye plaque the same substance?
A. Coronary plaque and eye plaque are directly related, while oral plaque is a different entity, said Dr. Holly S. Andersen, director of education and outreach for the Ronald O. Perelman Heart Institute at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center.
The kind of plaque that causes atherosclerosis is “a soft, yellow, greasy gruel that is made up of a combination of cholesterol, fat and inflammatory cells that circulate in your bloodstream,” Dr. Andersen said. It can rupture and cause a heart attack or stroke.
Eye plaque is a cholesterol-filled embolus, or bubble, that breaks off from an atherosclerotic plaque elsewhere and lodges in a small blood vessel in the retina. “It shows that you have significant plaque buildup and have already had a partial plaque rupture,” Dr. Andersen said.
Oral or dental plaque, also yellow, is a film made up of colonies of bacteria, proteins, sugars and salts, she said. Excessive buildup allows for acid production, which can lead to tooth decay, gum inflammation, and tooth loss.
Studies link poor dental hygiene to higher risks of heart disease, Dr. Andersen said. The explanation probably has to do with inflammation produced by the plaque, which is known to contribute to atherosclerosis, and possibly with direct damage from the bacteria and toxins released into the blood.
C. CLAIBORNE RAY