heart health Archives - Austin Dental Center

So many people continue to brush and floss and visit the dentist in order to maintain a healthy, sparkling smile, but for those who have already said goodbye to such dreams, what is the point in heading to the dentist’s chair every six or twelve months? Well, recent studies are suggesting that there is far more significance in this ritual than holding on to your pearly whites.

The bacteria that grow within the mouth when food particles remain dormant there can travel through the blood stream. What does this mean? Well, for one thing, it is that bacteria that is responsible for the growth of plaque about the teeth. The plaque that can cause gum disease or tooth decay in the mouth can have even more severe consequences when traveling through the body. Just as it does in the mouth, here it can build plaque which attaches to artery walls, causing them to become constricted and slowing the blood flow through them. If this occurs in arteries entering the heart muscle, oxygen levels there can plummet. In arteries going to the brain, the constriction can lead to decreased blood flow and increased risk of stroke.

That’s not the only danger to the body that one faces when failing to practice proper oral hygiene. Once gum disease has set in, the inflammatory agents called endotoxins also enter the blood stream. Carried through this system, they can lead to serious infection in the heart or its valves (endocarditis). If that isn’t enough to scare you, consider the fact that if the tissue within the tooth becomes infected, and is not treated with a root canal, it will die. The dead tissue will provide a constant source of bacteria that will hitch a ride with blood cells.

Given these facts, it is not really surprising to find that those people who fail to brush their teeth regularly are seventy percent more likely to contract heart disease.

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Researchers are beginning to make a startling discovery regarding dental health. It seems that it isn’t just your pearly whites that can be affected when you skip that nighttime brushing or fail to schedule that next dentist visit. Did you know that it has been found that gum disease sufferers are two or three times as likely to contract heart disease? The leading killer in this country has a direct link to your mouth, so it might be time to pay more heed to the way you care for your teeth and gums.

The thought that gum health and whole-body health are interrelated is one that has been gaining great popularity in medical circles. Doctors in both fields have been publishing findings that link heart and gum disease, so patients know what they are risking by failing to keep their mouths free of decay and disease.

There are many ways to keep gums healthy, aside from the obvious brushing, flossing, and visits to the dental chair. For instance, eating more raisins has been shown to help because the dried fruits are chock full of bacteria battling antioxidants. They can beat away the harmful microorganisms, which lead to painful inflammation and gum disease. Green tea is also a powerful combatant, as it contains a special antioxidant called catechins. Finally, whole grains can reduce one’s chances of periodontal disease by nearly twenty-five percent. So, rather than reaching for the enriched white bread, you might opt for the whole grain or oat bread, and instead of the white rice, choose the brown. These whole foods break down and release sugars more slowly, which keeps the blood sugar at a more even level, and means reduced chance of gum and heart disease. The most important thing for mouth and heart health is to continue eating and drinking healthily.

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