Stroke, heart attack, tendonitis ... These pathologies that can come from a tooth problem

The human body is a machine of tremendous complexity in which the links between the different organs are legion.

And this is also true for the mouth.

In "Sans Rendez-vous", the dental surgeon and member of the French Union for Oral Health (UFSBD), Christophe Le Carre, explains how a dental problem, even gum, can have unsuspected repercussions on the joints , the brain, or the heart. 

>> Find all of Sans rendez-vous in replay and podcast here

"The mouth, the first gateway to infectious endocarditis"

It is a link that has been studied "for many years": that between the mouth and the heart.

And for good reason, "the first gateway to infectious endocarditis is the mouth", explains the specialist. 

To understand how this is possible, you have to take a close look at a tooth.

At the heart of the latter nestles the dental pulp, this is where the vessels that supply them with blood are located.

However, in the case of sufficiently deep decay, the bacteria present in the mouth can penetrate these vessels and thus end up in the bloodstream.

In the case of infectious endocarditis, these same bacteria are "grafted" on the inner wall of the heart.

A pathology that can be fatal. 

"Periodontitis increases the risk of myocardial infarction"

And it's not the only heart disease that can stem from an oral problem.

According to Christophe Le Carre, myocardial infarctions "are favored by gum diseases, in particular periodontitis which is characterized by tooth loosening".

One of the side effects of this pathology is an "increase in the deposition of cholesterol plaques in the arteries and a decrease in the elasticity of the latter".

This allows us to state that "periodontitis increases the risk of myocardial infarction". 

Heard on europe1:

There is no good health in general, if there is no good oral health

Gingival diseases, caused in large part by the bacteria called "of the red complex", can also cause a hemorrhagic stroke [a rupture of a cerebral artery, note] via this same process, still according to Christophe Le Carre.

Likewise, the specialist mentions "a few recent studies" which tend to show a link between oral problems and Alzheimer's disease.

"Red complex bacteria have been found in some patients, so periodontitis is certainly a contributing factor."

>> READ ALSO -

 The advice of a dental surgeon to have good white teeth

Cavities can cause tendonitis ...

Less serious but just as surprising, tendonitis can also have its origin in an oral problem, again because of the same process.

"If one of them reaches a tendon and grabs it, it can cause tendonitis," says the dentist.

Without forgetting that a tendonitis "of another origin can be maintained by a caries".

Moreover, the cyclist Bernard Hinault paid the price during the Tour de France 1980: victim "of a knee problem caused by an infection in a wisdom tooth", the "Badger" was forced to forfeit. 

... or chronic sinusitis

Another pathology possibly caused by poor oral health: sinusitis.

Here it is the upper molar that comes into play, because "its roots can be in contact with the wall of the maxillary sinus, or even dive into it".

If one of these teeth becomes infected, it can lead to "chronic sinusitis", explains the dental surgeon.

All these repercussions of an oral problem remind Christophe Le Carre that every French person must go to his dentist "at least once a year".

And to abound: "there is no good health in general, if there is not good oral health".