Researchers point out that root caries may be a marker of general physical decline in the elderly and specifically hint at the mouth as an integral part of the body. A total of 125 generally healthy individuals over the age of 80, living in urban, community-based populations were examined. Researchers discovered that persons with three or more active root caries had more than twice the chances of cardiac arrhythmias than those without.

Elderly persons with active root caries, have an increased risk of having irregular heart beats. The advanced age of those who participated in the study may have been a factor in determining an association between overall periodontal disease and arrhythmia since those who might have been strong examples of this association may not have survived to age 80. This study is published in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society.

Because arrhythmias can signify other possibly undiagnosed diseases in older people, researchers stress the importance of taking dental diseases seriously. "The findings make a strong point for the active assessment of and attention to oral problems for the older community-dwelling population," according to the San Francisco dentistsof www.saldana-dds-sf.com.

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