Are artery plaque and tooth plaque the same? Cardiologist and dentist explain the link |
Same word, different mess, different threats
The word plaque is doing a lot of work on social media, and that’s what makes it confusing.Tooth plaque is basically a sticky film that you can feel with your tongue when you wake up. It’s made of bacteria, food bits, and spit, all clinging to your teeth like wet dust. If it sits there too long, it hardens into tartar and irritates your gums. Artery plaque builds up inside blood vessels and is made mostly of cholesterol, fat, calcium, and inflammatory junk your body didn’t clean up well. Instead of sitting on a surface, it forms within the artery wall. Over time, that wall gets thicker and stiffer, and blood has less room to move through. Part of the confusion comes from the name, but part of it comes from the mouth–heart connection you’ve probably heard about. Dentists and cardiologists have noticed for years that people with bad gum disease tend to have more heart disease. That doesn’t mean tooth plaque crawls from your mouth into your arteries. It doesn’t.“People often get confused because the term “plaque” has two different definitions. In dental terms, plaque refers to a thin layer of bacteria that builds up on the teeth when food mixes with saliva. If left alone, this layer will harden into tartar and can lead to gum disease, tooth decay, and bad breath. On the other hand, arterial plaque consists of fat, cholesterol, calcium, and inflammatory cells that create build-up in your arteries over a period of years and make you more likely to have a heart attack or stroke,” Dr. Nishant Tyagi, Director & Head of Department – Dental (Prosthodontics & Oral), Max Super Speciality Hospital, Vaishali told TOI Health. “Although tooth plaque and artery plaque are two different substances, they both have a direct effect on your health. Tooth plaque is a sticky substance that consists mostly of bacteria, which develops when food particles (especially sugars and starches) come into contact with the bacteria in your mouth. If tooth plaque is not cleansed, it can harden into tartar, which leads to gum disease. On the other hand, artery plaque is made up of cholesterol, fat, calcium, and other waste products that accumulate within the walls of arteries. This is referred to as atherosclerosis, which narrows the arteries and decreases blood flow to the heart, brain, and other important body parts,” explains Dr. Binay Kumar Pandey, Director & HOD- Interventional Cardiology, Electrophysiology, Yatharth Super Speciality Hospital Faridabad.
How are the plaques connected?
“While dental plaque and arterial plaque look different in terms of material make-up, they are both related through inflammation. If you have severe gum disease, then those bacteria are getting into your blood stream and can cause chronic inflammation damage to your blood vessels, leading to the formation of arterial plaque. Practicing good dental hygiene helps reduce the inflammatory load on your body, which ultimately benefits both your teeth and your heart,” says Dr Nishant.
Dr Binay highlights the bacterial connection between them. “Both of these are linked because of bacteria and inflammation. Chronic gum disease can cause ongoing inflammation throughout the entire body, and bacteria from the mouth can enter into the bloodstream through broken or bleeding gums. This bacteria can help to create unstable plaques in your arteries, increasing the chance of heart attack or stroke. Maintaining proper oral health will therefore help protect you from developing a heart condition,” he shared.
The takeaway
Tooth plaque won’t clog your arteries directly. Artery plaque won’t rot your teeth. But they’re both signs of how your body handles inflammation, bacteria, and repair over time.So brushing and flossing aren’t just about a nice smile. And eating well and moving your body aren’t just about your heart. It’s all connected, just not in the simple “this turns into that” way people sometimes imagine.Different plaques. Same body. And it all adds up.Medical experts consulted This article includes expert inputs shared with TOI Health by: Dr. Nishant Tyagi, Director & Head of Department – Dental (Prosthodontics & Oral), Max Super Speciality Hospital, Vaishali Dr. Binay Kumar Pandey, Director & HOD- Interventional Cardiology, Electrophysiology, Yatharth Super Speciality Hospital FaridabadInputs were used to explain the link between tooth plaque and artery plaque. The doctors have cleared the confusion around the plaques.
