Dental Health Could Link to Heart Health
You hear it every time you go to the dentist, “make sure you are brushing and flossing twice a day.” Although this advice may seem redundant, it is very important to listen to. Brushing and flossing doesn’t just help with a beautiful smile and a health mouth, it could actually improve your overall health, including your heart. A direct link between oral health and heart health has been found. If you do not brush and floss daily it may lead to heart disease, stroke, and high blood pressure. Additionally, those are only a few of the many side effects from not properly taking care of your personal oral hygiene. There is a slowly growing awareness of the general public that oral care has an impact on overall health. Dr. Kabour, the chief cardiologist at Mercy St. Vincent Medical Center said, “the scary part is that 40 percent of people with heart conditions have gum disease. The big question they ask is how it happens: Bacteria that grows on the gums affects the inner layer of the heart, which builds up plaque over the years.” Gum related heart issues affect a lot of the elderly because they have a hard time cleaning their gums, however young people can be affected too. People in their 20s with periodontal infection or disease could develop heart disease sooner. Dr. Kabour has pointed out that the link between oral health and heart health was discovered years ago, but recently more and more data supporting that fact has been emerging. It has affected medicine so much cardiologists are talking to patients about their oral health. They point out the fact that even though many Americans brush twice a day, not many brush for two whole minutes twice a day. Make sure you do to protect both your teeth and your heart.
