Stroke is the leading cause of death attributable to neurological diseases in India, accounting for 6.99,000 fatalities in 2019, or 7.4 percent of all deaths in the nation, according to research published in The Lancet Global Health.

We really can not help but think about whether there is a link between stroke and dental health as we discover something about how our mouth health affects our entire health. 

Strokes & Gum Disease – In Brief

To comprehend the link between stroke and dental health, one must first grasp what a stroke is and who is more likely to have one. A stroke happens when a blood artery in the brain breaks or when a blood clot prevents oxygen from reaching the brain.

A person suffering from a stroke will exhibit physical symptoms such as a sagging face, arm fatigue, or garbled or impaired speech. While strokes can occur at any age, some categories of people are more vulnerable:

• For people 65 and above – the chance of having a stroke increases with age, with the bulk of patients with stroke usually 65 or older.
• Inactivity, cigarettes, adiposity, and the disorders that might come from them (such as hypertension, high blood cholesterol, and diabetes) have all been linked to stroke.

Current findings have discovered that people who have suffered from a stroke often have poor dental hygiene and oral health. Sadly, gum disease is frequently the outcome of poor dental health.

Gum disease affects far too many people than expected. It is a fully avoidable condition caused by bacterial overgrowth in the mouth. Gum disease has numerous phases and may often be controlled with adequate treatment. It is characterized by red, puffy gums that have pulled away from the tooth and easily bleed.

Brushing a couple of times a day, utilizing floss and rinse every day, consuming sugar-free gum after mealtime when brushing isn’t a possibility, and visiting your dentist at least 2 times annually for routine check are the simplest ways to prevent gum disease.

Inflammation is the primary relationship between gum disease and stroke. An infection of the mouth is caused by the excess of germs associated with gum disease. Unfortunately, this bacterial infection can enter the circulation and cause inflammation, increasing the likelihood of blood clotting and leading to a stroke.

While it is still unclear if gum disease causes vascular inflammation (which is linked to both heart disease and stroke), studies show that there is a correlation. Gum disease-related inflammation has been linked to illnesses such as diabetes, some malignancies, and even Alzheimer’s disease.