We all know that it’s important to take care of heart health. After all, heart disease is a leading cause of death, and many causes of heart disease can be prevented. One body part that we often pay special priority to, however, is a much more superficial feature – our teeth. Every time we smile, people see our teeth, and these days the trend is to have the whitest, brightest, straightest teeth possible. It’s definitely a vanity thing, in that regard . . . but is it more than that? Don’t be surprised if you know someone who has taken out a cash loan to pay for dental care – they have a good reason. Is there some hidden link between our pearly whites and our red, four-chambered inner organs? What’s the connection between your teeth and your heart? Here are the surprising facts:
As within, so without. Sure, that sounds kind of like a bible verse, or a Buddhist mantra . . . so what does it have to do with the connection between your teeth and your heart? Well, you might be shocked to find out gum disease and tooth decay has been linked to heart disease and vascular illness. As a matter of fact, studies show that people with periodontal disease are almost twice as likely to also suffer from heart disease. Those are statistics you just can’t ignore. Therefore, it seems that you may be able to use your oral health as a gauge of your heart health.
Prevailing theories. Although experts are still unsure as to how, exactly, tooth and heart health correlate with one another, there are some likely reasons as to why they correlate. One theory is that bacteria found in oral illness gets into the bloodstream, ultimately affecting the heart; these bacteria attach to plaque in the blood and contribute to clogging of the blood vessels. Another theory is that periodontal inflammation, caused by tooth decay and diseases like gingivitis, somehow contribute to swelling of the arteries, which leads to cardiac arrest.
What you can do. It seems that the most important thing you can do to decrease your risk of heart disease through your mouth is to floss – plain and simple. Flossing reduces swelling in the mouth, which is thought to reduce the risk of arterial swelling (and the subsequent risk of arterial clogging).
It may be shocking to find that your oral health is so directly related to your heart health, but the statistics are just too great to ignore. Add flossing to your routine to hedge the risk of putting any unintended strain on your heart, and the next time you see your well-groomed pearly whites, they will probably mean a lot more to you.
