Heart Health
What Is Heart Disease?
The term "heart disease" covers a variety of issues that affect the heart, including blood vessel disease, infections in the heart, unstable heart rhythm, and diseases in the muscles of the heart. All told, heart disease is one of the leading causes of death in the United States, accounting for 1 in every 4 deaths. That's over 655,000 deaths each year.
The symptoms of heart disease are often "silent" and go unnoticed until they cause a severe reaction, such as a heart attack. For this reason, 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
Heart health and oral health rarely get grouped together, but the two are more closely related than you might expect. According to a study in Circulation, the American Heart Association's medical journal, heart attacks can be triggered by oral infections. The worse the infection, the more severe the heart attack.
In fact, as many as 50% of heart attacks may be triggered by infections in the mouth. A pathogen called Streptococcus mutans is found both in dental cavities as well as infections in the heart's inner ring. In addition, blood clots that cause heart attacks often contain elevated amounts of the same bacteria that cause root canals.
Heart Disease Treatment
At Durango Health Group, we partner with the oral health professionals at Durango Dental Group to identify the warning signs of heart disease throughout your whole body. With the latest diagnostic technology, such as cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT), we provide a proactive approach to heart disease treatment to keep your heart as healthy as possible.
What Is Heart Disease?
The term "heart disease" covers a variety of issues that affect the heart, including blood vessel disease, infections in the heart, unstable heart rhythm, and diseases in the muscles of the heart. All told, heart disease is one of the leading causes of death in the United States, accounting for 1 in every 4 deaths. That's over 655,000 deaths each year.
The symptoms of heart disease are often "silent" and go unnoticed until they cause a severe reaction, such as a heart attack. For this reason, 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
Heart health and oral health rarely get grouped together, but the two are more closely related than you might expect. According to a study in Circulation, the American Heart Association's medical journal, heart attacks can be triggered by oral infections. The worse the infection, the more severe the heart attack.
In fact, as many as 50% of heart attacks may be triggered by infections in the mouth. A pathogen called Streptococcus mutans is found both in dental cavities as well as infections in the heart's inner ring. In addition, blood clots that cause heart attacks often contain elevated amounts of the same bacteria that cause root canals.
Heart Disease Treatment
At Durango Health Group, we partner with the oral health professionals at Durango Dental Group to identify the warning signs of heart disease throughout your whole body. With the latest diagnostic technology, such as cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT), we provide a proactive approach to heart disease treatment to keep your heart as healthy as possible.