Highlights
- A new study finds that having both gum disease and cavities is linked to an 86% increased
risk of stroke compared to having a healthy mouth. - Poor oral health was tied to a 36% higher risk of heart attacks and other cardiovascular
events. - People with regular dental visits were 81% less likely to have both gum disease and
cavities. - Researchers say improving oral health could be an important — and often overlooked — way
to help reduce stroke risk.
MINNEAPOLIS, MINN – People with both cavities and gum disease may face a higher risk of ischemic stroke,
according to a study published on October 22, 2025, in Neurology® Open Access, an official journal of the American Academy of Neurology. The study does not prove that poor oral health causes strokes; it only shows an
association.
Ischemic strokes are the most common type of stroke and occur when a clot or blockage
reduces blood flow to the brain, depriving it of oxygen and nutrients.
Cavities are holes in the tooth enamel caused by sugary or starchy foods or factors
such as poor oral hygiene or genetics. Gum disease, usually caused by poor oral hygiene,
is an inflammation or infection of the gums and jawbone. It can lead to tooth loss.
“We found that people with both cavities and gum disease had almost twice the risk
of stroke when compared to people with good oral health, even after controlling for
cardiovascular risk factors,” said study author Souvik Sen, MD, MS, MPH, of the University of South Carolina in Columbia. “These findings suggest that improving
oral health may be an important part of stroke prevention efforts.”
Researchers analyzed data from 5,986 adults with an average age of 63 who had no prior
history of stroke at the start of the study. All participants completed dental exams
that assessed whether participants had gum disease, cavities or both. Participants
were then placed in three groups: having a healthy mouth, gum disease only or gum
disease with cavities.
Researchers followed them for two decades, using phone visits and medical records
to determine which people had a stroke.
Of 1,640 people with healthy mouths, 4% had a stroke, of 3,151 people with gum disease
only, 7% had a stroke and of 1,195 people with gum disease and cavities, 10% had a
stroke.
After adjusting for factors such as age, body mass index and smoking status, researchers
found when compared to people with healthy mouths, those with both gum disease and
cavities had an 86% higher risk of stroke. Those with gum disease alone had a 44%
increased risk.
The study also looked more broadly and found that people with both gum disease and
cavities had a 36% higher risk of experiencing a major cardiovascular event, such
as a heart attack, fatal heart disease or stroke when compared to people with healthy
mouths.
Participants who reported visiting the dentist regularly had 81% lower odds of having
both gum disease and cavities and 29% lower odds of having gum disease alone.
A limitation of the study is that participants’ oral health was assessed only once
at the start of the study, so changes in dental health over time weren’t captured.
It’s also possible that other unmeasured health factors contributed to the findings.
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