Daily brushing could save your life
A study has revealed that brushing teeth twice daily could ward off a heart attack.
The link between gum disease and heart disease has recently been confirmed in numerous research studies, but this is the only project to link a healthy heart directly with daily teeth cleaning. The study discovered people who brush their teeth very rarely or not at all are have a 70 percent increased chance of developing heart disease compared to people who brush their teeth twice each day.
The research, which was carried out by a team from University College London, examined data from the Scottish Health Survey, which involved eleven thousand participants; the average age of participants was 50. The survey questioned people about their oral hygiene habits and how regularly they visited their dentist. The results of the survey found that 62 percent of people went to the dentist every half-year and 71 percent of people cleaned their teeth twice a day. During the course of eight years, 550 cases of severe heart conditions were reported amongst the participants.
This study is the latest in a long line of research projects linking poor oral health with serious medical conditions. Many people will be unaware of the links between poor mouth hygiene and heart problems but dental experts hope that reading the results of these studies will encourage people to take better care of their teeth and gums.
Dentists recommend brushing the teeth twice a day for at least two minutes each time and using mouthwash and daily floss on a daily basis. Electric toothbrushes have been proven to me more effective at removing plaque than manual toothbrushes and fluoridated toothpaste is usually recommended by dentists, as it strengthens the enamel on the teeth and makes the teeth more resistant to decay.
Further research is set to be carried out on the link between mouth health problems and medical conditions; recently, harmful bacteria in the mouth has been connected to diabetes, higher risk of strokes, cardiovascular disease and even diabetes but additional research is needed to confirm the ideas brought about by these studies.
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