Health Info: Oral Hygiene

For a while the debate on how many times a day we should brush our teeth and floss has not yet been closed, arguably, most of us do it twice or three times a day. A new study comes now to show that, as we’re doing so, we’re not only promoting gum health and keeping our pearly teeth white, but also diminishing the risk of getting a heart attack.

Even though some specific periodontal pathogens have been found to be associated with an increased risk of coronary heart disease, the total bacterial pathogenic burden is more important than the type of bacteria. In other words, the total number of ‘bugs’ is more important than one single organism. As noted, this is just one of the many studies conducted on the topic that links oral hygiene to overall health, and especially heart conditions. Even if researchers have not yet come up with irrefutable proof as to how the bacteria in our mouth may be linked to heart attacks, previous studies have shown that gum issues can be connected to heart problems. Bacteria may set off general inflammation that in turn causes blood to clot.

What researchers are trying to send is clear though: we should brush our teeth and floss to reduce the number of bacteria in our mouth and, at the same time, the risk of having a heart attack.

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