subject: Dental Care and Its Relationship to Cardiovascular Disease [print this page] Dental Care and Its Relationship to Cardiovascular Disease
I was unaware until terribly recently of the correlation between dental health and diseases of the cardiovascular system. There are even studies that place poor dental health prior to smoking, high cholesterol levels, lack of exercise and obesity as a risk for cardiovascular disease. Clearly, proper dental hygiene has taken on a significance that goes far beyond an attractive smile and contemporary breath! What constitutes sensible dental care? It begins before you ever see a dentist. Follow these practices daily: ? Brush your teeth twice every day-in the morning and before bed-and floss once a day. This removes plaque. ? Use toothpaste that contains fluoride. Fluoride strengthens teeth and helps scale back cavities. ? Avoid foods with high sugar content. Sugar grows plaque. ? Do not use tobacco products. They can cause gum disease or worse! ? Use a tongue cleaner. If you don't have one, use a soft bristled brush and clean from front to back. In addition to those daily activities, see your dentist on a regular basis for exams and cleanings. I was interested in checking out which dental problems tied in with what cardiovascular disease, in different words, what the causes and effects were. A comprehensive study was sponsored in the late 1980's, by the Finnish government, to work out health risks to the Finnish people. They measured many sorts of diseases and then did statistical correlations. Unexpectedly, the info showed a robust correlation between dental disease (specifically, periodontal disease) and stroke, heart disease and diabetes. Taking the study a step additional by weighting the information for age, gender, diet etc. it absolutely was apparent that periodontal disease was the best risk factor for stroke, heart attack and premature death. This study was later confirmed by studies undertaken within the United States, Canada, Nice Britain, Sweden and Germany. The results of periodontal disease are staggering. Studies showed that people with periodontal disease had a better risk of cardiovascular disease by a factor of two! Smokers, as compared, solely had a 60% increased risk. Animal studies have demonstrated quite conclusively that in periodontal disease, bacteria enter the bloodstream and invade heart and vascular endothelial cells and produce vascular calcification (hardening of the arteries). Endothelial cells are a specialised kind of epithelial cell that forms the inner layer of blood vessels. I'm completely surprised that these facts aren't getting more media attention. Why hasn't the Yank Dental Association made this correlation between periodontal disease and cardiovascular disease better known to the general public? It'd be good for business, right? In this writer's opinion, the American Medical Association and the Yank Dental Association ought to be touring the planet with these findings. My goodness, study the paranoia around the world relating to smoking! Smoking is much less a issue in cardiovascular disease than gum disease, nevertheless smoking is getting all the press. Well, on the and aspect, now you recognize! Tell your friends, members of the family and coworkers. This can be important. Get the word out! This is BIG!
