We all know the bad, vile effects of poor oral hygiene. We get painful bleeding gums (gingivitis). We get horrible bad breath. We may get cavities that must be filled. We might even have our teeth fall out or need to be pulled out by the dentist. These problems typically make it harder to enjoy eating, and our attractiveness gets eroded, too. A foul, unhealthy mouth with missing or rotten-looking teeth isn’t any good for your self confidence, either.
But what many of us don’t realize is that there’s an even more insidious problem lurking within us when we don’t have good oral hygiene. And that problem is impending (or already developed) heart disease.
Research across 39 nations which involved 15,828 voluntary mouths has demonstrated that people with missing teeth (not counting those whose teeth are missing because of a physical accident) have higher levels of Lp-PLA2, which is an enzyme that helps to cause inflammation. Inflammation is part of the body’s natural healing process, but when it lasts for too long and becomes chronic it is the root source, we know now, of cancer — and, of heart disease.
Inflammation in the arteries is what causes cholesterol to stick to the interior arterial walls. It doesn’t really matter if the cholesterol in question is the “good” HDL or the “bad” LDL. When the arterial walls are inflamed, the cholesterol is going to stick (even if your cholesterol levels are deemed “healthy”, which those levels are in well over half of all heart attack victims), and when it sticks it builds up like cement blocks; your blood can’t flow as it should and you develop heart disease.
One way that inflammation becomes chronic is when there is uncured infection in the body. And if you are experiencing constant gingivitis (bleeding of the gums), halitosis (chronic bad breath), or persistent problems with cavities then you have infection in your mouth. This infection brings on inflammation which in turn breeds the bacteria that are not only responsible for your oral hygiene problems but also cause your arteries to become sticky on the inside.
If you’ve got these bacteria proliferating inside your mouth, think about what’s happening within you when you eat or drink anything. Your mouth mixes up these bacteria with the food or drink that it’s preparing for you to be able to swallow, and when it goes down your throat and into your stomach those bacteria get passed on into your bloodstream. They don’t merely disappear nor do they merely remain in your mouth (which would be bad enough).
So, when you take good care of your mouth, you’re also taking good care of your heart. If you’re having problems with these symptoms, what should you do to reverse them?
Brush your teeth more often. It’s shocking how easily people get distracted away from brushing their teeth like they ought to in our busy world. If you’re sure that you’re already brushing your teeth enough times per day, then supplement your brushing with a plaque-fighting mouth rinse (not a mouthwash).
Use dental floss. A lot of people feel like they haven’t got the time to floss. But a great way to overcome this mental block and make it a habit is to simply begin flossing just one tooth per day, progressing to two or three as it becomes more of a habit. Within a few weeks, you’ll have made flossing a habit, you won’t fear the time that it takes, and you can floss many teeth in one sitting. If you’re one of those people whose teeth are very tightly packed together and flossing thus seems impossible for you, you can use that mouth rinse instead of flossing.
Cut down on carbs. Yes, even if you cut down on the sugar (which is a carb), you might have to cut down on more carbs (like bread or pasta) if you have serious oral hygiene problems because those harmful bacteria thrive on carbs.
Some people have said that they were able to cure gingivitis by taking supplements of Co-Q10. Since Co-Q10 is also healthy for your heart, you’ve got nothing to lose by taking supplements of it.
Go see your dentist if you can’t solve your oral hygiene problems. You should be getting regular checkups anyway, you know!
Hillary Barnes is a professional blogger that shares information on the latest techonolgy in oral care. She writes for Embassy Dental, a top dental practice in the Nashville TN area.
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