What is the Root Canal and Heart Health Connection? What You Should Know

Untreated dental infections may pose a risk to heart health but root canals themselves aren’t the enemy.

Most people wouldn’t link a dental visit to heart disease but emerging research and clinical insights suggest otherwise. Your oral health, especially how you manage gum disease and dental infections, can have a surprising impact on your cardiovascular health. One of the questions many patients ask is: “Can a root canal cause heart problems?” The answer is more nuanced than a simple yes or no.

Let’s explore how your mouth may influence your heart and why timely dental care, including root canal treatments, might actually help prevent heart complications.

How Oral Health Affects the Heart

Gum disease (periodontitis), tooth decay, and untreated infections introduce harmful bacteria into the mouth. If left unmanaged, these bacteria can travel through tiny blood vessels in your gums and enter your bloodstream, a condition called bacteremia.

Once in the bloodstream, these oral bacteria can:

• Trigger inflammation in blood vessels
• Contribute to the plaque build-up in arteries (atherosclerosis)
• Infect heart valves, especially in people with pre-existing heart disease or prosthetic heart valves

Studies have found bacteria like Porphyromonas endodontalis, commonly seen in infected root canals, to be linked with increased cardiovascular risk. But that doesn’t mean the root canal procedure is harmful in fact, it often plays a protective role.

Root Canal: Friend, Not Foe

A root canal treatment is a dental procedure that removes infected tissue from inside a tooth to prevent further spread. It’s one of the most effective ways to save a tooth and prevent ongoing infection.

Here’s the key:

• Root canals do not cause heart attacks.
• Untreated tooth infections do.

During the procedure, there may be a temporary release of bacteria into the bloodstream (bacteremia), but this is typically harmless in healthy individuals. The risk becomes relevant only in patients with underlying heart conditions or compromised immunity.

For these individuals, dentists often recommend precautionary antibiotics before the procedure, as guided by cardiologists and dental associations.

What Happens If You Avoid Treatment?

If an infected tooth is left untreated:

• It can develop into a chronic endodontic lesion—a constant source of inflammation and infection.
• Over time, this chronic inflammation can strain the immune system and worsen heart conditions.
• It may exacerbate atherosclerosis, narrowing your arteries and increasing your risk for strokes and heart attacks.

This is why early intervention matters. Getting a root canal, when needed, could help protect more than just your smile, it could protect your life.

Expert Advice: When to Be Extra Cautious

For most healthy individuals, a root canal is a routine and safe procedure. However, you should inform your dentist if:

• You have a history of heart valve disease, infective endocarditis, or congenital heart defects
• You’ve had cardiac surgery or have prosthetic heart valves
• You’re on immunosuppressive medications or undergoing cancer treatment

Your dentist may consult your physician or prescribe preventive antibiotics to reduce the risk of complications.

While the mouth-heart connection is real, root canals are not the villain. On the contrary, they are crucial in preventing systemic infections that can strain your heart. Practicing good oral hygiene, brushing twice a day, flossing regularly, and keeping dental appointments, goes a long way in supporting your overall health.

If you’ve been advised to get a root canal, don’t delay it out of fear. Done right and on time, it can be a lifesaving procedure not just tooth-saving.

Remember: A healthy heart often begins with a healthy mouth. Don’t underestimate the power of your dental routine in protecting your heart health.