Heart Health
What Is Heart Disease?
The term "heart disease" includes a wide range of conditions that affect the heart, including blood vessel disease, diseases in the muscles of the heart, unstable heart rhythm, and infections in the heart. In all, heart disease is one of the leading causes of death in the United States, accounting for over 655,000 deaths each year. That's 1 in every 4 deaths.
As with other "silent" conditions, the symptoms of heart disease often go completely unnoticed until they cause a severe reaction, such as a heart attack. Therefore, it's very important to get regular health screenings and take preventative measures to ensure that your heart stays healthy.
The Mouth-Body Connection to Heart Health
Most people do not link heart health with oral health, but the two are more closely related than you might expect. A study published in Circulation, the American Heart Association's medical journal, suggests that heart attacks can be triggered by oral infections. The worse the infection, the more severe the heart attack.
As many as 50% of heart attacks may, in fact, be triggered by infections in the mouth. Blood clots that cause heart attacks often contain elevated amounts of the same bacteria that cause root canals. Another pathogen, Streptococcus mutans, is found in both dental cavities and infections in the heart's inner ring.
Heart Disease Treatment
At Henderson Health Group, we collaborate with the dental professionals at Henderson Modern Dentistry and Orthodontics to take a holistic approach to heart disease treatment by detecting the warning signs through your whole body. By using the latest diagnostic technology, such as cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT), we can give you the best chance of keeping your heart as healthy as possible.
What Is Heart Disease?
The term "heart disease" includes a wide range of conditions that affect the heart, including blood vessel disease, diseases in the muscles of the heart, unstable heart rhythm, and infections in the heart. In all, heart disease is one of the leading causes of death in the United States, accounting for over 655,000 deaths each year. That's 1 in every 4 deaths.
As with other "silent" conditions, the symptoms of heart disease often go completely unnoticed until they cause a severe reaction, such as a heart attack. Therefore, it's very important to get regular health screenings and take preventative measures to ensure that your heart stays healthy.
The Mouth-Body Connection to Heart Health
Most people do not link heart health with oral health, but the two are more closely related than you might expect. A study published in Circulation, the American Heart Association's medical journal, suggests that heart attacks can be triggered by oral infections. The worse the infection, the more severe the heart attack.
As many as 50% of heart attacks may, in fact, be triggered by infections in the mouth. Blood clots that cause heart attacks often contain elevated amounts of the same bacteria that cause root canals. Another pathogen, Streptococcus mutans, is found in both dental cavities and infections in the heart's inner ring.
Heart Disease Treatment
At Henderson Health Group, we collaborate with the dental professionals at Henderson Modern Dentistry and Orthodontics to take a holistic approach to heart disease treatment by detecting the warning signs through your whole body. By using the latest diagnostic technology, such as cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT), we can give you the best chance of keeping your heart as healthy as possible.