Dental Hygiene to Reduce Heart Disease
Poor dental hygiene and not brush your teeth regularly can cause unhealthy teeth, bleeding gums which might boosts the risk of heart attacks and strokes according to researchers at a September 2008 meeting of the Society for General Microbiology in Dublin.
According to the World Health Organization, heart disease is the number one killer worldwide, claiming up to 17 million lives annually. It is the leading cause of death, accounts for 40 per cent of all deaths annually – 11,300 people, in the US, Canada, UK, Australia and New Zealand, where it.
Often, most people with cardiovascular disease have common risk factors such as smoking, obesity and high cholesterol. But recently, researchers have discovered new link between gum disease and heart disease and stroke.
Gum disease is the most common infections in human and there are over 50 studies linking gum disease with heart disease and stroke.
People with poor dental hygiene and those who don’t brush their teeth regularly end up with bleeding gums, which provide an entry to the bloodstream for up to 700 different types of bacteria found in the human mouth. Failing to scrub clean your teeth will cause those germs to flourish. Many are essential to good health, and some are benign. Few trigger a biological cascade leading to chronic bacterial infections that have been associated with atherosclerosis, the main risk factor of heart attacks.
“The mouth is probably the dirtiest place in the human body. If you have an open blood vessel from bleeding gums, bacteria will gain entry to your bloodstream. When bacteria get into the bloodstream they encounter tiny fragments called platelets that clot blood when you get a cut. By sticking to the platelets bacteria cause them to clot inside the blood vessel, partially blocking it. This prevents the blood flow back to the heart and we run the risk of suffering a heart attack.” said Dr Steve Kerrigan of the Royal College of Surgeons in Dublin, Ireland.
“Cardiovascular disease is currently the biggest killer in the western world. Oral bacteria such as Streptococcus gordonii and Streptococcus sanguinis are common infecting agents, and we now recognize that bacterial infections are an independent risk factor for heart diseases. In other words it doesn’t matter how fit, slim or healthy you are, you’re adding to your chances of getting heart disease by having bad teeth.” said Professor Howard Jenkinson from the University of Bristol.
Good dental hygiene is not only for children. A clean mouth will make you more immune to infection, having a healthy smile and reducing bad breath. It is never too early or too late to begin taking care of your teeth and gum!
The standard expert recommendations include brush your teeth at least twice a day, floss once a day, see a dentist regularly or when signs of trouble appear.
Tips For Oral Hygiene
Brushing your teeth for Oral Health:
- Experts recommend brushing your teeth at least twice a day and ideally after meals or snacks.using fluoride-containing toothpaste.
- Use a soft-bristled toothbrush (gentler on your gums) which allows you to reach every surface. Replace it if the bristles are bent or frayed, minimum every 2 to 3 months.
- Spend at least two minutes brushing your teeth.Position the toothbrush at at a slight angle against your teeth pr a 45-degree angle where your gums and teeth meet.
- Gently move the brush in a vibrating back & forth motion, brushing 2-3 teeth at a time.
- <li>Maintain the 45-degree angle against your gumline to gently brush along all of the inner tooth surfaces using a back, forth, and rolling motion. Brushing too hard can cause receding gums, tooth sensitivity, and, over time, loose teeth.
- To clean the inside surfaces of the front teeth, hold the brush vertically.
- Make several gentle back-and-forth strokes over each tooth and its surrounding gum.
- Use a gentle back and forth scrubbing motion to clean the biting surface of the teeth.
- Don’t forget to brush the tongue from back to front to remove odor-producing bacteria.
- Avoid vigorous or harsh scrubbing, which can irritate your gums.
- Replace your toothbrush every three or four months, or sooner if it becomes frayed.
- Consider using an electric toothbrush, especially if you have arthritis or other problems that make it difficult to brush well.
Flossing for oral health:
All the tight spaces between your teeth or the areas under your gumline can’t reached by the toothbrush. Flossing removes plaque build up improves oral health.
- Carefully ease the floss between two teeth, using a back and forth motion.
- Curve the floss around the edge of your tooth in the shape of the letter “C” as it wraps around the tooth and slide it up and down the side of each tooth.
- Gently pull the floss from the gumline to the top of the tooth to scrape off plaque but don’t force it under the gums.
- Floss the backs of your teeth.
- Use fresh floss as you progress through your teeth.
- Try waxed floss, If you have trouble getting floss through your teeth.
Other oral health care tips
In addition to brushing and flossing, consider also these oral health tips:
- Use a mouth rinse to help reduce plaque between your teeth.
- Use an interdental cleaner, such as a dental pick or dental stick specially designed to clean between your teeth.
- Use oral irrigators, or devices that aim a stream of water at your teeth, to remove food particles.
- Don’t use toothpicks or other objects that aren’t made to clean your teeth.
Visit your Dentist Office regularly at least twice a year or if this symptoms occurs:
- Red, tender or swollen gums
- Gum that bleed when you’re regularly brushing and flossing
- Gum that are pulling away from your teeth, which may make your teeth seem longer
- Pus around your teeth and gums when you press on the gums
- A bad taste in your mouth
- Loose teeth
- Changes in the way your top and bottom teeth touch
- Changes in the feel of your dentures
- Sensitivity to hot and cold
Irwan Lee
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