Not Brushing Your Teeth Can Kill You - The Shocking Link between Oral Hygiene and Heart Disease

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For a long time scientists speculated poor oral hygiene could be a cause of heart disease. Those speculations were confirmed by a London University scientist; Professor Richard Watt in 2010, when he conducted a study that proved poor oral hygiene can lead to the hardening of arteries which in turn can cause heart disease.

According to the study, bacteria in the mouth that cause gum disease and tooth decay can enter the bloodstream through punctured blood vessels in cavities and bleeding gums, attach themselves to platelets (the body’s clotting agents) and cause spontaneous blood clots that partially block the flow of blood to and from the heart and other organs. This increases the risk of suffering a heart attack and other cardiovascular ailments.

To draw these conclusions, Dr. Watt and his team monitored over 11,000 adults and their brushing habits. In their analysis, they factored in their lifestyles, eating and exercising habits, whether they smoked or drank alcohol and how often, the number of visits to their dentists per year and how often they had their teeth cleaned during the study. The study took 8 years.

The Results

More than two thirds of the participants visited their dentists bi-annually while seven tenths of them were recorded to have brushed their teeth at least twice in a day.

In conclusion, Dr. Watt and his team found that those who brushed less often; say once a day; had a 70 percent increased chance of developing heart disease than those who indulged in the exercise more than once.

During the course of the study, 555 patients suffered heart attacks. Of the lot 170 were fatal.

The results are published in the British Medical Journal.

Age and Size Do Not Matter

Dr. Steve Kerrigan, one of the spearheaders of the research explains the study unearthed that anyone practicing poor oral hygiene can suffer from heart disease regardless of their physical proportions and age. According to Dr. Kerrigan it doesn’t matter how young, slim or healthy you may think you are, by not keeping your mouth clean you’re increasing your chances of getting heart attacks, high blood pressure, congestive heart failure and coronary heart disease. According to the findings, it all starts in the arteries.

Arteries are elastic muscular walled tubes that carry blood and nutrients away from the heart to the body. Oral bacteria such as gordonii and streptococcus find their way into arteries through punctured blood vessels in the mouth where they cause massive clotting that fill up and cause hardening and narrowing of the arteries. This change cannot be noted through plain physical observation. Only a visit to a health practitioner will tell you whether your arteries are congested or not.

Preventing Potential Heart Disease

Heart disease is the number one killer in the world. According to the research experts, the most important preventative measure for heart disease in relation to oral hygiene is to brush your teeth regularly, more than once a day, preferably after every meal. Use a long toothbrush with long soft bristles to remove remnant particles. The long handle allows for easy maneuvering in the mouth while the long bristles make it possible to extract tiny food debris hidden between teeth and gums that might cause gum diseases and cavities to form. The soft bristles are also sensitive to teeth and gums and therefore cannot puncture capillaries and veins in the mouth. Fluoride toothpaste should always be used.

Other preventative measures include: daily flossing, avoiding/halting use of tobacco, avoiding sugary snacks e.g. chocolates and sodas, eating vegetables and fruits rich in Iron, Vitamin B & C and Calcium to prevent anaemia and periodontitis, eating a balanced diet and visiting your dentists at least every 6 months.

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