Stroke And Dental Health
Stroke And Dental Health Varying degrees of periodontal disease (gum disease) are associated with strokes. Mild gum disease, which causes inflammation of the gums, is called gingivitis, while more serious gum disease that causes the actual destruction of the gums is called periodontitis. Severe periodontitis can lead to tooth decay and eventually even tooth loss. All three of these types of gum disease are associated with a stroke — even the mildest form, which is gingivitis. Severe periodontal disease and tooth loss was a strong predictor of stroke, and even that people who had lost more teeth had usually experienced more strokes. Tooth loss was found to be a predictor of silent strokes. Silent strokes are strokes that people don’t know they had because silent strokes don’t cause obvious handicaps. However, over time, the build-up of silent strokes can cause disabling problems such as dementia. Dental problems such as gingivitis, periodontitis, and tooth l...