Gum Disease and Heart Disease: Linked, but Does a Deep Cleaning Protect Your Heart?
Breath & MouthArticleYou may hear that treating gum disease prevents heart attacks. The American Heart Association found that gum disease and hardened arteries are linked, but not proven to cause each other, and that gum treatment hasn't been shown to prevent heart disease. A later evidence review found too few trials to say. Here is what to take from that.
A connection between mouth health and heart health has been proposed for more than a century.1 Today, you may see claims that gum treatment protects your heart.1 Here’s what the evidence supports.
What’s established
- They’re linked. People with gum disease (periodontitis) have more hardened-artery disease, even after accounting for known risk factors.1
- They share causes. Smoking, age and diabetes raise the risk of both.1
What isn’t established
- Cause and effect. The American Heart Association said observational studies don’t support a causal relationship.1
- Heart protection from gum treatment. Gum treatment lowered inflammation markers in short-term studies, but there’s no evidence it prevents heart disease or changes its outcomes.1
A later review searching for trials found only two small studies, with very low certainty evidence, and concluded the evidence was too limited to guide practice.2
What this means for you
- Treat gum disease for your mouth, and in people with diabetes, it may help blood sugar. See our article on gum treatment and A1c.
- Protect your heart with proven steps: not smoking, managing blood pressure, cholesterol and blood sugar, and staying active.
- Be wary of dental marketing that promises heart protection.
Our guides to deep cleaning visits, bleeding gums and antibiotics before dental work for heart conditions cover related questions.
Try: “My dentist says treating my gums will protect my heart. What does the evidence show, and what’s the main reason to treat them?”
Is It My Breath? includes a visit script. Use it to bring your heart conditions, diabetes status and smoking history to your dental visit.
This article is for general educational purposes only and is not medical or dental advice. It isn't a substitute for diagnosis or treatment from a qualified healthcare professional who knows your health history. Please don't skip recommended gum treatment or heart care because of something you read here. Chest pain or pressure, shortness of breath, or pain spreading to the arm, jaw or back needs emergency care. If you think you may be having a medical emergency, call 911 or your local emergency number right away. This article discusses published research. Girl Playbook does not endorse any specific product, test, or provider.
Girl Playbook sells this book. It provides education and worksheets, not individualized medical care.
Sources
The research behind this article, in the order it’s cited. How we source our articles.
- Circulation (abstract via PubMed), 2012Periodontal disease and atherosclerotic vascular disease: does the evidence support an independent association?: a scientific statement from the American Heart Association (opens in a new tab)abcdef
- Evidence-Based Dentistry (abstract via PubMed), 2023Is periodontal therapy an effective treatment modality for preventing or managing cardiovascular disease in patients with periodontitis? (opens in a new tab)↩
Spotted something out of date? Tell us and we’ll check it.
