Can Taking Care Of Your Teeth Help You Live Longer?
Is your dental health related to heart health? Can taking care of your teeth help heart health?
When it comes to heart health, you know what you need to do to keep your ticker in shape, right? You need to exercise, eat right, get good sleep, reduce stress… However, there’s another factor of heart health that may surprise you. Taking care of your teeth!
One of the most important factors in keeping your heart healthy may be taking care of your teeth and gums.
How is heart health related to dental health?
As stated on WebMD in their article on how dental health affects the heart: "There are a lot of studies that suggest that oral health, and gum disease in particular, are related to serious conditions like heart disease," says Periodontist Sally Cram, DDS, a spokeswoman for the American Dental Association.
While this relationship hasn’t been directly proven, there is some science that shows that the presence of gum disease, cavities, and missing teeth are just as good of predictors of current or future heart disease as cholesterol levels. That's why taking care of your teeth is so important!
Many researches say this is tied to inflammation in the body. More and more often, the presence of inflammation is also tied to heart disease. Since dental problems are often tied to inflammation too, this makes the relationship between dental problems and heart disease even more likely.
So while there is no reason to panic if you are currently dealing with dental issues, the studies do seem to indicate that proper tooth and gum care – and taking care of your dental health in general – are vital to longevity.
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