People who have lost multiple teeth are two thirds more likely to die from heart disease, according to a new study.
Researchers from the Case Western Reserve University School of Dental Medicine found that heart disease risk was significantly higher for people who had lost all of their teeth. Lead researcher Anita Aminoshariae said: ‘The magic number is 10. For those who had 10 teeth or less, they’re in trouble.’
Professor Aminoshariae said these findings show that tooth loss is a ‘significant predictor of cardiovascular disease mortality’.
She added: ‘Maintaining good oral health is essential, not only for a healthy smile, but also for a healthy heart. This study underscores the importance of regular dental check-ups and preventive care to reduce the risk of serious cardiovascular events.’
Published in the Journal of Endodontics, the data was gathered through a literature review from several major journals.
The results were consistent across all the included studies for those with no teeth. However, they varied more as the number of teeth increased. Overall, the researchers said that the studies pointed to the same conclusion.
Professor Aminoshariae said the findings ‘confirmed that losing teeth is indeed a risk factor’ for dying from heart disease.
Childhood tooth loss
This comes as a recent study found that childhood tooth extractions were three times as likely in deprived areas in the UK. One in 200 children in the study had at least one tooth removed, with most having multiple teeth extracted.
Ethnicity was also found to be a factor for childhood tooth extraction. White Irish, Pakistani and Bangladeshi children were significantly more likely to lose teeth than those who were White British.
Lead author Nicola Firman said: ‘Our findings point to an urgent need for equitable access to preventive general dental services, and interventions that are targeted at the wider determinants of dental health.’
Co-author Vanessa Muirhead added: ‘Tooth extractions are a last resort, but when families have difficulty accessing timely preventive and treatment services, dental problems can progress until children need more serious and costly interventions such as multiple tooth extractions under general anaesthesia.’
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