February 9th, 2011
The benefits of keeping your mouth healthy are not confined to just having a nice, white smile. Recent studies have shown that maintaining excellent oral hygiene can actually help with your general health too and reduce the risk of suffering from devastating heart disease.
The studies found that those who never or rarely brushed their teeth were about seventy per cent more likely to experience heart disease than people who brush at least twice a day, as recommended by dentists.
As well as brushing twice a day you ought to floss too, to ensure that your mouth is free from the plaque which can damage teeth and cause gum disease. The studies could not prove that keeping a healthy mouth actually reduces the risk of heart disease, in itself, because it may be that those who are regular and diligent tooth brushers might also be leading generally healthier lives.
However, by looking after your mouth you are taking the first steps towards a healthier way of looking at your routine. You might decide to alter your diet and make it more balanced so that you are exposing your teeth to less plaque. Of course this will help your general health too as the sugary foods which mainly contribute to the formation of plaque are usually low in nutritional value and often high in calories.
Letting your oral health deteriorate to the extent that your mouth is subject to infections and gum disease can compromise your general health as infections in the mouth can enter the blood stream and lead to other complications. Talk to your City of London dentist today for more advice about how to look after your teeth and gums and reduce the risk of heart disease.
April 5th, 2010
It isn’t generally well known that heart disease has, through recent research, been linked to bad oral hygiene says a City of London dentist. The extensive research, which is a cause of great discussion amongst professionals, has shown that the oral bacteria that causes gum diseases such as Gingivitis has been linked to blood platelet problems. This problem is a known cause of heart disease and other blood related malfunctions in the production of new blood cells. The bacteria is thought to enter the blood system through cuts and abrasions in the mouth, these are generally caused by infected gums that are damaged through rough brushing. In the same way that blood can carry the Hepatitis strain from person to person, oral bacteria infects the blood and attaches itself to the platelets, these platelets then mutate and infect the vital organs that they feed. The immune system eventually adjusts itself to fight off the infection, but in a lot of cases damage was noticed in patients before this happens. It is now vital that we all take more care of our oral hygiene to prevent not just gum disease, but our other vital organs such as the heart. If you are not too familiar with what constitutes as good oral hygiene, then a visit to the hygiene nurse at your dental practice is a must do for 2010. A simple regime will go a long way to eliminating gum disease, which by the way is incurable, if you already have a gum disease then it is important that you learn to brush and floss without cutting the infected flesh of the gums. Regular oral hygiene will not only keep your mouth healthy, but now it seems it will keep your heart healthy as well.
January 16th, 2010
Not many people are aware of recent research that associates heart disease and even strokes with poor oral hygiene. A lax regime in oral care leaves the blood low in Lipoproteins, research shows that this disorder is a leading factor in hardening of the arteries. A London W1 dentist says that although this isn’t a direct cause of heart disease, it certainly doesn’t help. The hardening causes a narrowing and this restricts the blood flow which in turn leads to high blood pressure. There seems to be a lot of conflicting views on the subject, some researchers are also advocating that strokes, and even diabetes is exasperated by the lack of good oral hygiene. The dentist goes on to say that although research is incomplete, he would always advise his patients to have a good, well advised method of oral hygiene. Every dentist has an advisor on duty, and they are there to prevent problems rather than push up the bill. Getting back to Lipoproteins, these are a very important part of the blood make up; they carry and distribute water and fat around the body. This is an important part of the functions that keep our body healthy, if there is a lack of Lipoproteins in the blood then that can have a knock on effect. Diabetes is also affected by the lack of this protein. Bad oral hygiene kills off the good part of High Density Lipoprotein (HDL) and Low Density Protein (LDL), both of which serve to carry naturally produced proteins from one organ to another. If the proteins aren’t absorbed by their receptacle organ then the organ will experience problems, this leads to many of the diseases which together can cause a heart attack. All this can be prevented by spending a little more time on brushing, flossing and making sure that our gums are healthier.
