Can Heart Problems Affect Your Teeth?

Understanding the Surprising Two-Way Link Between Oral Health and Your Heart

That strange ache in your jaw. Gums that bleed and don’t seem to stop. A mouth that’s always dry lately. If you have a heart problem, you might wonder, “Can heart problems hurt my teeth, or is it just a random thing?” You’re not the only one thinking about it. Many people don’t realize how closely their heart health and their mouth are tied together. Let’s break down the facts, the risks, and what you can do to protect both your smile and your heart.

Table of Contents

• Can Heart Problems Affect Your Teeth?
• How Your Heart and Mouth Affect Each Other
• Mouth Problems Linked to Heart Disease
• Daily Ways to Protect Your Teeth and Heart
• When to Call Your Dentist or Doctor
• Key Things to Remember

Can Heart Problems Affect Your Teeth?

Short answer: Yes, heart problems can hurt your teeth—and not taking care of your teeth can hurt your heart, too.

This link surprises a lot of people. But studies show it’s real and matters. Taking care of your teeth isn’t just about fewer cavities and fresh breath—it can also help lower your risk of heart problems. And some heart medicines and problems can make it more likely you’ll have mouth troubles.

Let’s see how this works and what you can do.

How Your Heart and Mouth Affect Each Other

How Heart Problems Can Mess With Your Mouth

Think of your mouth as a doorway to the rest of your body. When you have heart trouble, that doorway gets harder to keep healthy. Here’s why:

1. Medicine Side Effects

A lot of heart medicines—like water pills, beta-blockers, ACE inhibitors, and calcium channel blockers—can give you dry mouth, puffy gums, or make you bleed more easily.

• A dry mouth (called xerostomia) means less spit, which lets more cavities and gum disease sneak in.
• Medicines like amlodipine (a calcium channel blocker) may make your gums grow too much. This looks strange and makes cleaning tough.
• Blood thinners mean you might bleed more during dental work.

2. Weaker Immune System

Heart problems over time can lower how well your body fights infection. So, even a small gum problem can turn serious fast—or even become dangerous.

3. Changes in Eating

If you’re on a diet to help your heart, you might skip crunchy fruits and veggies—the stuff that helps clean your teeth. Some foods that are good for your heart are hard or sticky, which can make new problems for your mouth.

How Your Mouth Can Hurt Your Heart

It’s not just one way; your mouth health can really affect your heart.

1. Sore, Swollen Gums Feed Heart Troubles

Bad gum disease (periodontitis) doesn’t just stay in your mouth. It can cause swelling in the whole body, raising signs (like CRP) linked with heart attacks and strokes. Swelling is your body’s way of calling for help—if it starts in your gums, it still sends signals everywhere.

2. Sneaky Germs Get Into Your Blood

Brushing, flossing, or dental work can let germs from your gums go into your blood. If these germs stick to a hurt part of your heart, they can cause infections like endocarditis—a rare but scary infection that’s tough to treat.

3. Shared Bad Habits

Do you smoke, have diabetes, or feel stressed a lot? These things make both gum problems and heart problems worse—giving you double trouble.

Mouth Problems Linked to Heart Disease

Some mouth problems happen more often—or get worse—if you have a heart problem, take heart medicines, or both.

1. Bad Gum Disease (Periodontitis)

This is the big problem when it comes to heart and mouth links. People with gum disease are 2-3 times more likely to have heart disease or stroke.

Signs to look for:

• Red, puffy, bleeding gums
• Bad breath that doesn’t go away
• Gums pulling back from teeth
• Loose teeth or changes in your bite

2. Endocarditis (Heart Infection)

If you have fake heart valves, were born with heart problems, or had a heart infection before, even a regular cleaning can let germs into your blood. This can cause a serious infection inside your heart.

3. Cavities and Losing Teeth

Some medicines for your heart cause dry mouth, which gets rid of the spit that washes away “bad” germs. This means more cavities, more dental work, and possibly tooth loss.

4. Gums Growing Too Much

Some blood pressure pills can make your gums grow over your teeth. This makes brushing and flossing tricky, and sometimes needs a little surgery if cleaning alone doesn’t fix it.

5. Tooth or Jaw Pain That Feels Like Heart Trouble

Funny enough, sometimes a heart attack can make your jaw or teeth hurt, even if your mouth looks fine. If you have new, strange tooth pain—especially with chest pain—call your doctor or 911 right away.

Daily Ways to Protect Your Teeth and Heart

Worried your mouth might hurt your heart or your heart might hurt your mouth? Here’s the good news—taking care of one helps the other, too. Here’s what you can do:

Make Brushing and Flossing a Must

• Brush your teeth twice a day with fluoride toothpaste. Electric toothbrushes work great, especially if your hands aren’t strong.
• Floss every day to remove germs between your teeth.
• You can use a mouthwash that fights germs, especially if you often get gum problems.

Don’t Skip Dental Visits

• See your dentist twice a year (or as often as they say). Tell your dentist about your heart problems and show them your list of medicines.
• If you need things like fillings, dentures, crowns, or other work, a crown and bridge lab or a digital dental lab can often work with your dentist to help you.

Get Your Doctors Talking

• Your dentist should know if you have a heart problem, especially if you have a fake heart valve or have had a heart infection.
• Your heart doctor needs to know if you have gum problems or any big dental work coming up.

Live the Heart-Healthy Life

• Stop smoking—this is the best thing for your mouth and your heart.
• Keep your diabetes and blood pressure under control.
• Eat lots of veggies, whole grains, lean meat, and good fats. Sweets and sticky snacks? Cut back on them.

Special Steps If You’re High Risk

• If you’re having dental work (like pulling a tooth or deep cleaning) and have some types of heart problems, ask both your dentist and your heart doctor if you need to take antibiotics first.

When to Call Your Dentist or Doctor

Don’t wait if you have:

• Gums that bleed, swell, or hurt
• Loose teeth or sudden changes in how your teeth fit
• A really dry mouth not just from being thirsty
• New or odd mouth pain, especially if you also have chest or arm pain

If you have a heart issue and need dental work, always ask: “Is there anything special I should do before this?”

Key Things to Remember

• Gum problems and heart problems are linked—taking care of one can help the other.
• Heart medicines often change how your mouth feels, so your dentist needs your full medicine list.
• Taking care of your teeth is about more than a nice smile—it helps your whole body.
• Open, honest talks between you, your dentist, and your doctor really matter.
• Good habits—brushing, flossing, quitting smoking, keeping your blood sugar steady, and eating well—help your mouth and your heart.

Still have questions? Don’t worry. Write down your problems or questions, talk to your dentist, and stay in touch with your heart doctor. Your smile and your heart will both be glad you did.

Sources: American Heart Association, American Dental Association, Journals: Circulation, Journal of Periodontology, Case Reports in Cardiology.

For more info about dental care choices, check out our guides on digital dental lab options and why picking a good crown and bridge lab matters.

Remember: Small, regular steps now can make a healthier you—inside and out.