Dentist warned about the impact of caries on the health of the heart and joints

Caries is a common disease that, in addition to harming oral health, can seriously harm other human organs and systems, including the heart, stomach, and liver. Elena Martynova, a dentist-therapist, periodontist at the SM-Dentistry clinic, Candidate of Medical Sciences, told Izvestia about this.

She noted that caries develops against the background of exposure to a complex of bacteria. In the absence of treatment, the affected tooth tissues gradually deteriorate, the nerve becomes inflamed, and cysts form at the root.

"If the infection goes beyond the tooth, it can lead to the development of sinusitis and even osteomyelitis. And considering that the main causative agents of caries are streptococci, it often causes frequent sore throats, otitis media and recurrent colds. And when they enter the bloodstream, they can provoke inflammatory processes in the heart and joints," the dentist warned.

The specialist also drew attention to the fact that chronic foci of infection caused by untreated caries weaken the local immunity of the oral cavity, facilitating the penetration of viruses and bacteria into the body.

"Advanced caries is a direct path to tooth loss. And this, oddly enough, negatively affects the process of chewing food, which, in turn, can lead to diseases of the stomach and liver," Martynova added.

According to her, caries on wisdom teeth leads to certain health problems — it not only contributes to the destruction of adjacent teeth, but can also cause irreversible changes in the temporomandibular joint.

Earlier, on November 29, 2024, Natalia Yurchenko, an orthodontist at SM-Dentistry, PhD, told Izvestia that improper growth of wisdom teeth can lead to serious problems with oral health, including This can lead to dislocation of the dentition and the development of infection. According to her, one of the most common problems is pain and discomfort.