Private dentists ‘may help identify heart attack risks’

A new study has shown that NHS and private dentists could play an important role in identifying people who are at risk of heart attacks.

Researchers at the Sahlgrenska Academy carried out a study involving 200 men and women, all of who were over the age of 45 and had no history of cardiovascular disease.

Participants were questioned during a routine visit to their dentist and were assessed for known risk factors for cardiovascular disease.

Because of the assessments, six men who believed themselves to be healthy were flagged up as high-risk candidates and were subsequently able to start preventative treatment.

Professor Mats Jontell, whose findings are published in the Journal of the American Dental Association, explained: “We wanted to find out if we as a profession could identify patients at risk of cardiovascular disease.”

Dentists could also play a more direct role in preventing heart attacks, as previous research has shown that people with gum conditions are almost twice as likely to suffer from coronary artery disease.