Friday, October 3, 2014

Reduce the risk of heart attack and stroke with proper oral hygiene

Can poor oral hygiene cause heart attack and stroke?


 


Paying attention to health and your dental hygiene — especially your gums — may pay you back with more than a gleaming, healthy, smile and affordable healthcare bills. It could keep your heart healthy also.


 


Paying attention to health and your dental hygiene — especially your gums — may pay you back with more than a gleaming, healthy, smile and affordable healthcare bills. It could keep your heart healthy also.


Dr. Braegger Dr. Braegger’s dental office can help you maintain proper oral hygiene


 


Nevertheless, experts stress the key word is may. Periodontists and cardiologists, have long debated the connection between dental health and cardiovascular disease.


“The issue still is not completely resolved”, says Robert Bonow, MD, past president and chief of cardiology at Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine.


“It isn’t clear whether gum disease actually has a direct connection to cardiovascular disease,” Bonow says. ” There are threads of evidence, but they are really not yet tied together. If people with poor oral health experience more cardiovascular disease, It does not mean poor oral health leads to it. Individuals with good oral hygiene may just be taking better care of themselves.” Quite simply, individuals who floss and brush their teeth follow other heart-healthy habits and may also exercise regularly.


 


Gum Disease and Heart Disease: How Could They Be Linked?


 


“Pros do agree that there are plausible reasons why heart health as well as dental health could be intertwined. For instance, inflammation is a typical issue in both ailments,” Bonow says. “Hardening of the arteries and plaque build up are both inflammatory processes”.


“Gum disease also has an inflammation part”, says Sam Low, DDS, associate dean at the University of Florida College of Dentistry. Gingivitis, the beginning phases of gum disease, occurs when bacteria overtake the mouth and gums become inflamed.


 


What Research Shows About the Heart and Gum Disease


 


Specialists in cardiology and periodontology lately reviewed more than 120 published medical studies, position papers, and other data on the link between dental hygiene and one’s heart. They developed a consensus report.


 


The goal was to give health professionals an improved knowledge of the connections between gum disease and heart problems, but much of the info is helpful to consumers, also. These points are made by the report:


 


  • A review of numerous published studies finds that gum disease is a risk factor for coronary artery disease.

  • Analysis of the large National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) found that gum disease is an important risk factor for diseases of the blood vessels and the arteries that supply the brain, especially strokes involving insufficient blood or oxygen to the brain. Data from another study of over 50,000 people found that those with fewer teeth and more gum disorder had a higher risk of stroke.

  • Other research found a direct link between clogged arteries in the legs and gum disease.

Contact the office of Dr. Braegger to learn more about minimizing the risks of heart attack and stroke.


 





Reduce the risk of heart attack and stroke with proper oral hygiene

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