FARK.com: (7059640) No proof bad gums cause heart disease, just don't breathe on me, okay?

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		No proof bad gums cause heart disease, just don't breathe on me, okay? (vitals.msnbc.msn.com)		28
		More: Sick, oral hygiene, Carolinas Medical Center, heart disease, cause heart disease, infectious diseases, American Heart Association, cigarette smoking

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2376 clicks; posted to Geek » on 19 Apr 2012 at 6:02 PM | Favorite | share:

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impaler		2012-04-19 03:51:46 PM

So I've been brushing my teeth all these years for nothing!

algrant33		2012-04-19 06:07:18 PM

My understanding is that the plaque which forms in your teeth is caused by the same bacteria which forms plaque in your arteries. The idea, then, is that if you're harboring the bacteria in your teeth, they have an opportunity to jump into your arteries.

theorellior		2012-04-19 06:10:02 PM

There's bad breath from foods you eat, and then there's bad breath from poor dental hygiene. The latter is very obvious and very easy to fix, unless you have some sort of condition. I've always wondered how people can deal with living with that smell day in and day out without breaking down and buying a freaking toothbrush and some Pepsodent.

Surool		2012-04-19 06:25:44 PM

All they ever proved is that the type of person who doesn't care about taking care of their teeth, doesn't care about taking care of the rest of their body either.

Bag of Hammers		2012-04-19 06:41:37 PM

Surool: All they ever proved is that the type of person who doesn't care about taking care of their teeth, doesn't care about taking care of the rest of their body either.

This.

flyinghouse99		2012-04-19 06:59:51 PM

I accidentally walked into the path of a stink-breath girl today, I seriously thought someone had farted.

Loucifer		2012-04-19 07:07:12 PM

So the stats are just coinci-dental?

NIXON YOU DOLT!!!!!		2012-04-19 07:15:26 PM

You know.....my last few trips to the dentist.....they're starting to sound a lot less medical sciencey and a lot more witchdoctor-chiropractor-y......

"Oh, you need this special $10 mouthwash or you're going to die!"
"Oh, you need this "special" cleaining that costs 10 times as much, and you need it twice as often, for the rest of you're life, or you're going to die!"
"Here, take this $20 tube of fluoride past....or you're going to DIE!"

GGracie		2012-04-19 07:24:21 PM

Bag of Hammers: Surool: All they ever proved is that the type of person who doesn't care about taking care of their teeth, doesn't care about taking care of the rest of their body either.

This.

THIS

It has to be a mental illness when a person won't take care of themselves. They rub their dirty body all over another person, making that person physically sick over and over again, requiring antibiotics. They smell so bad that people at work finally tell them that they smell. They become abusive when someone asks them to bathe. Their teeth disintegrate because they refuse to brush their teeth. Their dandruff is so bad that it causes severe allergies in others. They have fungal infections that they refuse to treat. They have diseases that they spread through sexual contact because they refuse to take responsibility for them. Their filth is so bad that is causes mental illness in others who have had to deal with it. And they don't care. They just go on looking to take their mess where ever they want, making others sick and never taking responsibility!

www.hahnfamilies.com

JrBobDobbs		2012-04-19 07:28:54 PM

My cousin in his early 20s who got endocarditis after a teeth cleaning which lead to a stroke and an aneurysm would beg to differ. Oh wait, as of 3 months ago, he no longer can. I will have to differ for him.

marklar		2012-04-19 07:31:30 PM

algrant33: My understanding is that the plaque which forms in your teeth is caused by the same bacteria which forms plaque in your arteries. The idea, then, is that if you're harboring the bacteria in your teeth, they have an opportunity to jump into your arteries.

I'm not a Fark GED Medical Doctor, but I am pretty sure that bacteria are not responsible for arterial plaque build up. They are for tooth plaque, but not in the blood system. That would be called a massive infection.

NIXON YOU DOLT!!!!!		2012-04-19 07:31:52 PM

JrBobDobbs: My cousin in his early 20s who got endocarditis after a teeth cleaning which lead to a stroke and an aneurysm would beg to differ. Oh wait, as of 3 months ago, he no longer can. I will have to differ for him.

While I am greatly sorry for your loss.....did a medical professional actually say the one caused the other?

oryx		2012-04-19 07:46:41 PM

I've always thought that was a story dentists made up to scare you.

Smackledorfer		2012-04-19 07:55:22 PM

Kanemano		2012-04-19 08:09:05 PM

Surool: All they ever proved is that the type of person who doesn't care about taking care of their teeth, doesn't care about taking care of the rest of their body either.

I thought that was the whole idea behind the original saying,

or as the smart people say "Correlation is not causation"

thebravetoast		2012-04-19 08:32:12 PM

marklar:I'm not a Fark GED Medical Doctor, but I am pretty sure that bacteria are not responsible for arterial plaque build up. They are for tooth plaque, but not in the blood system. That would be called a massive infection.

Atherosclerosis is essentially an inflammatory condition, and the plaques form in response to inflammation on the artery wall. While the trigger event isn't clear, one theory is that that presence of bacteria can prime the immune system to make plaques more likely. The link has been most studied in Chlamydia pneumoniae but there have been studies suggesting a connection with gingivitis as well--I guess that's what this link claims to debunk

Nmissi		2012-04-19 09:11:33 PM

So if there's no connection, does Andy Hallett get a Linknew cause of death now?

Nmissi		2012-04-19 09:12:38 PM

Well, that didn't work at all. Anyway... Andy Hallett (Lorne, from Angel) is supposed to have died from this dental related cardiomyopathy. http://www.hollywoodmemoir.com/andy-hallett

Unobtanium		2012-04-19 09:41:45 PM

I dated a woman who had a heart murmur, and was given an antibiotic prescription about a week before her dental cleanings

JrBobDobbs		2012-04-19 09:53:50 PM

NIXON YOU DOLT!!!!!: JrBobDobbs: My cousin in his early 20s who got endocarditis after a teeth cleaning which lead to a stroke and an aneurysm would beg to differ. Oh wait, as of 3 months ago, he no longer can. I will have to differ for him.

While I am greatly sorry for your loss.....did a medical professional actually say the one caused the other?

Yes, a specialist at UCSF Medical who said that while it is rare, this was one of the times that shows that people with any type of heart condition should take antibiotics before dental cleanings. She talked to her colleague in L.A. who had also seen this happen, who said he was going to try and convince the AHA to change their position on this.

Kurmudgeon		2012-04-19 10:12:44 PM

theorellior: I've always wondered how people can deal with living with that smell day in and day out without breaking down and buying a freaking toothbrush and some Pepsodent.

Your nose becomes accustomed and less sensitive. Other people's noses, however....
I just don't understand how someone can wake up in the morning and NOT brush their teeth.
Morning breath sucks.

The My Little Pony Killer		2012-04-19 10:37:49 PM

So it doesn't directly affect your heart. Do you still want to risk an infection that close to your brain?

The My Little Pony Killer		2012-04-19 10:40:51 PM

JrBobDobbs: NIXON YOU DOLT!!!!!: JrBobDobbs: My cousin in his early 20s who got endocarditis after a teeth cleaning which lead to a stroke and an aneurysm would beg to differ. Oh wait, as of 3 months ago, he no longer can. I will have to differ for him.

While I am greatly sorry for your loss.....did a medical professional actually say the one caused the other?

Yes, a specialist at UCSF Medical who said that while it is rare, this was one of the times that shows that people with any type of heart condition should take antibiotics before dental cleanings. She talked to her colleague in L.A. who had also seen this happen, who said he was going to try and convince the AHA to change their position on this.

So it wasn't actually the cleaning, but that your cousin didn't take an antibiotic before having it done.

Caeldan		2012-04-19 11:27:49 PM

Unobtanium: I dated a woman who had a heart murmur, and was given an antibiotic prescription about a week before her dental cleanings

I have a heart murmur and they've determined that the risk of infection is much lower than the risk of creating super bugs through people improperly taking their antibiotics and so dental prophylaxis is no longer required unless you have like a pacemaker or other seriously large issue.

I used to take mine I think 12 hours before and 6 hours after a cleaning.

Always got the banana flavoured liquid or cherry chewable tablets even as an adult... would specifically request them (was amoxicilin).

Got my wisdom teeth removed even without taking anything and no endocarditis so I guess they're right.

Surool		2012-04-19 11:42:52 PM

R.I.P Bleeding Gums Murphy

DVD		2012-04-20 12:09:17 AM

I would figure that the heart stress would come from the constant stress caused by the immune system being in higher gear fighting off invaders via gum 'wounds' and the repair systems being in higher gear trying to fix the gums. (Judging by how fast mouth wounds seem to heal, anyway)

mitEj		2012-04-20 10:23:19 AM

Inflammation can cause heart attacks and other things.

Bad teeth and gums can cause inflammation issues and secondary infections (which also cause inflammation)

Smackledorfer		2012-04-20 03:01:53 PM

mitEj: Inflammation can cause heart attacks and other things.

Bad teeth and gums can cause inflammation issues and secondary infections (which also cause inflammation)

Inflammation in one location does not necessarily cause inflammation in others. Do you not understand what inflammation is?

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