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A HEALTHY SMILE PROMOTES A HEALTHY HEART!

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Taking care of your teeth and gums can help reduce your risk of heart disease and other serious medical conditions!

Healthy heart clip art

  • People with gum disease are almost twice  as likely to suffer from heart disease as those without gum disease.
  • Many of the risk factors for gum disease are the same as those for heart disease and stroke: such as tobacco use, poor nutrition and diabetes.
  • Gum disease is caused by plaque buildup along and below the gum line. Bacteria from infected gums can extricate, enter the bloodstream, attach to blood vessels and increase clot formation; which in turn decreases blood flow to the heart, causing blood pressure to rise and increasing the risk of a heart attack.

Awareness of the following possible warning signs of gum disease:

  • Red, swollen or tender gums
  • Bleeding while brushing or flossing
  • Gums that pull away from the teeth
  • Loose or separating teeth
  • Persistent bad breath

For a bright, healthy smile:

  • Floss daily.
  • Brush your teeth twice a day.
  • Schedule regular dental cleanings.
  • Replace your toothbrush every three months—or sooner if the bristles become bent.

    While most people are aware that lifestyle choices such as eating right, getting enough exercise and quitting smoking can help prevent cardiovascular disease, they may not know that by just brushing and flossing their teeth each day, they might also be avoiding this potentially lethal condition.

heart and teeth

For a healthy, beating heart:

  • Don’t smoke. If you do smoke, try to quit.
  • Maintain a healthy weight through diet and exercise.
  • Control blood pressure.
  • Practice relaxation methods, such as meditation or yoga.
  • Stay active

Keys changes for patients with highest risk of infective endocarditis

Antibiotics before dental procedures are only recommended for patients with the highest risk of infective endocarditis, those who have:

  • A prosthetic heart valve or who have had a heart valve repaired with prosthetic material.
  • A history of endocarditis.(inflammation of the inner layer of the heart)
  • A heart transplant with abnormal heart valve function
  • Certain congenital heart defects

If you have a history of any cardiovascular (heart & artery) disease, it’s noteworthy to let your dental professional know as it may require them to adjust the type of treatment you are receiving. Be sure to keep them up to date with prescription or over-the-counter medicine you are taking—including any supplements, vitamins or herbal pills as your dentist might ask you to stop taking something before a specific treatment.

STAY FIT! KEEP SMILING

STAY FIT! KEEP SMILING

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Are you a Snacker or a Grazer?

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In today’s era, your busy lifestyle means that your eating habits are changing from the traditional three meals a day to more snacking or grazing while you are on-the-go, then now it’s a time to include chewing sugar free gum in your oral hygiene routine.

The definition for the word ‘grazing’ in the dictionary is ‘eating frequently at irregular intervals’ – not quite the same as snacking, but probably more frequent.  It comes down to grabbing something to eat on-the-go when and where we can. Breakfast at the desk, a couple of mid-morning biscuits, sandwiches and crisps for lunch and an afternoon treat to keep us going, with several cups of tea or coffee in between.

So,  this is not really a good news for our teeth which come under sustained attack from the plaque acids that form on teeth and can damage the enamel whilst all this snacking and grazing is going on. Every time we eat or drink the pH balance in the mouth changes, dropping into a danger zone where tooth demineralisation can happen. This can also leads to variety of oral health issues and can make you visit Dentist.

The simple and convenient step of chewing sugar free gum for 20 minutes after eating and drinking is a great addition to twice-a-day brushing because it helps neutralise those plaque acids, wash away food particles and re-mineralise tooth enamel.

There is plenty of scientific research to support the oral hygiene by simply having  sugar free gum, which are even more relevant now as we consume two or three snacks outside of meals every day. Both scientifically and practically proven chewing increases the production of saliva which helps clean the mouth and neutralise plaque acids, hence it’s a non-disruptive and simple oral care habit in addition to brushing and flossing. Therefore this keeps you fresh.