How to Conquer The Toxic Mouth-Heart Connection

A lot of people don’t know about the mouth-heart connection. They don’t realize that the bacteria in your mouth can actually affect your heart health. In this article I share exactly which germs have been shown to cause damage to your heart and other organs and then explain how to conquer and disarm this toxic connection.

The Toxic Mouth-Heart Connection

Nasty mouth bugs like Streptoccocus mutans, Porphyromonas gingivalis, Fusobacterium nucleatum, and Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans bacterium can do some real damage to your cardiovascular system if they get out of control. These bacteria, and others, don’t stay in your mouth. They can get into your systemic blood supply, travel to distant sites, and cause damage that you would never link poor oral hygiene. But the scientific evidence has accumulated that these oral pathogens are indeed dangerous.

Streptococcus mutans

Let’s start with S. mutans. This little stinker is infamous for rotting your teeth but studies show S. mutans, along with a few other species of Streptococcus bacteria, are tied to higher rates of a serious heart infection called infective endocarditis. So keeping S. mutans in check is critical for protecting both your pearly whites and your ticker. And if you already have underlying cardiovascular disease, the risk is even higher. So take care of your teeth.

Porphyromonas gingivalis

Another oral bacteria heavyweight is Porphyromonas gingivalis. A 2023 mouse study showed that periodontal disease caused by infecting mice’s gingival pockets with P. gingivalis also caused heart inflammation and even infection of heart tissue by P. gingivalis, as evidenced by mRNA from the bacteria found in heart tissue. Interesting enough, giving the mice the probiotic bacteria Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG along with the gingivitis-causing bacteria alleviated most of the pathogenesis caused by P. gingivalis.

So, this study shows that this bug can infect your heart and cause inflammation, yet also demonstrates one way you can prevent it as well with probiotics. So lurking gum disease puts you at risk for cardiovascular inflammation and persistent infection thanks to this oral pathogen.

Fusobacterium nucleatum

Then there’s Fusobacterium nucleatum which wreaks havoc in a different way…

Fusobacterium nucleatum, typically linked to gum disease, also impacts heart health. Research published in 2023 in the journal Cardiovascular Research showed gum disease worsens atherosclerosis in mice through F. nucleatum infecting the liver and causing the liver to produce more fat and cholesterol. A review of in-mouth and out-of-mouth effects of F. ncleatum found these bacteria were found in many organs of the body and contribute to many systemic disorders such as coronary heart disease, pathological pregnancy, polycystic ovary syndrome, high-risk pregnancy, colorectal cancer, pre-eclampsia, rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis. These nasty bacteria can really travel.

Aggregatibacter Actinomycetemcomitan

Aggregatibacter Actinomycetemcomitans (Aa) is lesser known (maybe because nobody can pronounce its name?), but still can significantly increase risks of poor cardiovascular health outcomes. A group of gram-negative bacteria referred to as HACEK organisms are involved in infective endocarditis (infection of the thin layer of cells in the chambers and valves of the heart). Excellent oral hygiene is necessary for people that already have heart disease or have a heart valve replacement. A case-control study of about 500 people in Finland found that a 10-fold increase in saliva levels of Aa was associated with a 7.5-fold increase in risk of stable coronary artery disease (CAD) and a 4.3-fold increase in risk of acute coronary events like severe chest pain and heart attacks.

Severe Periodontitis Causes 7-Fold Risk of Dying From Heart Disease

As you can now see, these four specific strains of bacteria have been found in research studies to be toxic to the heart. There are other bacteria that do this as well, so you can’t just target these four kinds of bacteria. The good news is that good oral hygiene can conquer all of the negative bacteria at the same time.

So you can see that good dental hygiene and check-ups are important not just for teeth but also cardiovascular wellness. Why be a fool and die before your time? Take care of your teeth. One study that followed a group of people for an average of 12 years found that those with less than 10 teeth, compared to those with more than 25 teeth, had a seven-fold increased risk of dying from heart disease. Yikes! There are likely confounding nutritional factors likely in this study, but it still points out that severe periodontal disease, which causes loss of teeth, isn’t just about looks—it can damage your heart and kill you before your time.

Make Oral Care a Habit

The steps to taking care of your mouth, gums and teeth aren’t a big secret. Habitual consistency is the key. Always take time to care for your teeth. Even 2 minutes twice a day with the right ingredients can remove the germs that build up plaque that leads to cavities and gum disease. One quick brush in the morning and a thorough brushing and flossing at night while winding down before bedtime may work very well for you.

Steps to Conquering the Toxic Mouth-Heart Connection

Brush at least twice a day with a non-toxic toothpaste.
Floss at least once a day is the foundation of great home care.
“Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants.“ Eat lots of fruits and vegetables, whole, organic grains, legumes, nuts and seeds as the foundation of your diet.
Take supplements that boost immune system function is also helpful. Vitamin C, D, fish oil as well as magnesium supplements are the basics that get your immune system in better shape.
- Vitamin D3. Many people need 5,000 IU/day to have healthy blood levels of 25(OH)D.
- Vitamin C, at least 3 grams a day, taking just 1 gram doses at a time. Vitamin C needs to be spread out throughout the day.
- Fish oil. Take 2 or 3 regular strength capsules per day. Beware that fish is much more likely to be contaminated with heavy metals that commercially produced, closely monitored fish oil. So, take fish oil.
- Magnesium. Most adults could benefit from supplemental magnesium. 250 mg twice a day (500 mg total per day) is really helpful for most people. Some adults, especially larger ones, will need more to optimize their sleep, joint health, cardiovascular health, brain health, and immune system function.
As mentioned above, a good probiotic can be helpful in alleviating some of the systemic risk of potentially pathogenic bacteria in the mouth. A good oral probiotic may be helpful as well.
Additionally, using Ora-Shield, an essential oil blend designed for oral hygiene, may help balance mouth bacteria and reduce the population of potentially harmful ones. In fact, there are 16 ways you can improve your oral health. So, you can definitely take control of the bacteria in your mouth so that they don’t cause you any more harm.

MichaelD Owner

MichaelD brings his education in biochemical engineering and expertise in plant-based diets to create innovative products and systems that enable people to achieve higher levels of abundant living.

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