Share of Cost – Poor Dental Hygiene and Links to Heart Disease
A more established link between poor dental hygiene and overall health care is heart disease. The University of Bristol in the UK and the Royal College of Surgeons in Dublin, Ireland, found that people with bleeding gums from poor dental hygiene could be increasing their risk of heart disease.
The researchers found that heart disease risk increased because, in people who have bleeding gums, bacteria from the mouth can enter the bloodstream and stick to platelets, which can then form blood clots, interrupting the flow of blood to the heart and triggering a heart attack.