How Your Teeth Can Impact Your Heart

It’s obvious that you should take care of your teeth for good health. But did you know that the state of your teeth can also affect your heart? Brushing, flossing, and having regular cleanings will help decrease your chances of getting gum disease, which also decreases your risk of heart disease.

Start being proactive about your health and come visit us! We proudly serve as dentists in the Highlands Ranch area. 

http://www.everydayhealth.com/dental-health/healthy-teeth-healthy-heart.aspxHealthy Teeth, Healthy Heart? – Dental Health Center – Everyday Health Experts say that your oral health could clue you in to the condition of your heart — so listen up! Here’s what you should know about the links between your teeth, gums, and ticker.

You brush, floss, and follow all your dentist’s commandments for healthy teeth and gums (kudos!). But did you know that those mouth-healthy habits may ultimately keep your heart healthy, too?

Research has found a surprising number of links between the state of your mouth and your heart. In fact, we now know that people who develop gum disease (either gingivitis, a milder form that results in inflammation and infection of the gums, or periodontitis, which develops when the inflammation and infection spread below the gum line) are nearly twice at risk for heart disease.

“There is a very logical reason why the two may be connected,” says Peter M. Spalding, DDS, associate professor in the department of growth and development at the University of Nebraska Medical Center College of Dentistry in Lincoln. Experts are starting to understand that the underlying mechanism of cardiovascular disease is related to inflammation, he says. Read more…

 

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