Gum Disease and Cavities Strongly Linked to Higher Stroke Risk

Dr. Joseph Mercola - Take Control of Your Health

Briana Mercola

Health & Fitness, Alternative Health

4.6 • 1.5K Ratings

🗓️ 16 December 2025

⏱️ 8 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

People with both gum disease and cavities have nearly double the risk of suffering an ischemic stroke compared to those with healthy teeth and gums
Chronic oral inflammation allows harmful bacteria and toxins to enter your bloodstream, damaging arteries and increasing blood clot formation that blocks blood flow to your brain
MRI brain scans show that gum disease alone causes silent brain injuries known as white matter lesions, which are early signs of stroke and cognitive decline
Regular cleanings, good oral hygiene, and biological dental care dramatically reduce stroke risk by preventing infection, lowering inflammation, and protecting the health of blood vessels
Healing your mouth through better nutrition, natural oral care, and toxin-free dentistry strengthens your gums, restores circulation, and supports long-term brain and heart health

Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0	Is your bleeding gum line quietly raising your stroke risk right now?
0:04.0	Welcome to Dr. Mercola's cellular wisdom.
0:06.0	Stay informed with quick, easy-to-listen summaries of our latest articles,
0:10.0	perfect for when you're on the go.
0:12.0	No reading required.
0:13.0	Subscribe for free at Mercola.com for the latest health insights.
0:17.0	Hello, and welcome to Dr. Mercola's cellular wisdom.
0:20.0	Today we're examining how oral inflammation links directly to ischemic stroke and silent brain injury,
0:25.6	and what steps you can take to cut that risk by protecting your gums.
0:29.6	I'm Ethan Foster.
0:31.6	Two new Neurology Open Access Papers connect gum disease and cavities with higher stroke rates
0:36.6	and show that gum
0:38.0	inflammation alone leaves measurable scars in your brain's small vessels years before
0:42.7	symptoms appear. Let's walk through the data and then the actions you can take. I'm Alara
0:47.8	Skye. If you've thought of sore or bleeding gums as a local problem, the research is clear.
0:54.0	When your gums are
0:55.8	inflamed, bacteria and toxins enter your bloodstream, amplify immune reactions, damage vessel
1:02.7	linings, and push your blood toward clotting. That systemic chain is what elevates stroke
1:08.5	risk. Over 21 years, researchers followed 5,986 adults and compared
1:16.0	oral status with hospital and death records. Stroke occurred in 4.1% of people with healthy gums,
1:23.0	6.9% with gum disease alone, and 10% when gum disease and cavities were both present.
1:29.3	After adjusting for age, smoking, blood pressure, and diabetes, having both conditions
	...

Transcript will be available on the free plan in 17 days. Upgrade to see the full transcript now.

Previous episode | Next episode

Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from Briana Mercola, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.

Generated transcripts are the property of Briana Mercola and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.