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Comprehensive General Dental Care for the Adult and Child, Including: Preventive, Restorative (Including Cosmetic Restorations), Prosthetic (fixed, removable, and implants), Endodontic (root canals) and Periodontal Care. |
Tooth loss, gum disease may up men's stroke risk By Keith Mulvihill New York (Reuters Health) — Tooth loss and gum disease may increase a person's risk for having a stroke, new study findings suggest. Lead author Dr. Kaumudi J. Joshipura of Harvard School of Dental Medicine in Boston, Massachusetts and colleagues report their findings in the January 2003 issue of Stroke: Journal of the American Heart Association. Periodontal disease, which includes gingivitis and periodontitis, involves a chronic bacterial infection that can lead to tooth loss. Scientists have speculated that over time, these oral bacteria may slip into the bloodstream and trigger inflammation in the blood vessels that feed the heart and brain. Some, but not all, studies on the topic have suggested a history of gum disease increases the risk of heart attack or stroke. In the current study, Joshipura and her team followed the heart and dental health of 41,380 men between the ages of 40 and 75 who had no sign of heart disease or diabetes at the start of the study. After 12 years, a total of 349 men had an ischemic stroke. This is the most common type of stroke, and occurs when a clot or blocked artery cuts off blood flow to the brain. Men who had 24 teeth or less at the start of the study had a 57 percent increase in their risk for having an ischemic stroke compared to men who had 25 teeth or more, Joshipura told Reuters Health in an interview. Tooth loss in most cases was due to gum disease or cavities, she added. Joshipura cautions that the findings do not imply that loss of teeth will definitely lead to a stroke. The researchers tried to control for many factors related to increased risk of stroke, such as age, obesity, smoking, exercise and diet, explained Joshipura. But she added that it was impossible to control for every possible influence on stroke risk, such as genetic factors. The authors also saw a modest association between having a history of periodontal disease at the start of the study and ischemic stroke risk. "This is a preliminary study that will need to be confirmed by more research," Joshipura said. SOURCE: Stroke 2003;34. |