Brush Your Teeth Twice a Day to Prevent Heart Disease

A recent British study finds that those who brush their teeth less than twice a day is 70% more likely to develop heart disease. Why this is true isn't quite understood as yet, but researchers believe it is connected to the build up of clogged arteries. The report, from the British Medical Journal, states '...the overall risk to the heart from poor oral hygiene remained quite low...future experimental studies will be needed to confirm whether the observed association between oral health behavior and cardio vascular disease is in fact causal or merely a risk marker.'

For years, we have been warned about the dangers lurking inside our mouths -- bacteria, viruses, fungi and protozoa -- over 100 million in every ml. of saliva from more than 600 different species and about one-half of these bacteria are still unknown to science!

Good oral hygiene is a must to keep these creatures at bay. These microbes aren't likely to do harm in a well care-for mouth, but when you don't brush properly and often enough, some types of bacteria can cause tooth decay and gum disease (gingivitis).

There is an extremely strong link between the bacteria in your mouth and overall general health. Some mouth bacteria has been proven to cause serious diseases including oral cancer and heart disease.

A 2005 a study by the University of Buffalo reported a link between the amount of mouth bacteria and the increased risk of a heart attack. They say it is not due to the types of bacteria in the mouth, but the number of bacteria. These bacteria can be reduced by correct and frequent brushing and oral hygiene.

　

Sources:

　http://www.brighthub.com/science/genetics/articles/45935.aspxhttp://www.brighthub.com/science/genetics/articles/45935.aspx