Brush your teeth twice daily to avoid heart disease

LONDON - Brushing your teeth twice a day could go a long way reducing the risk of heart disease, says a new study.

Over the last 20 years, there has been increased interest in links between heart problems and gum disease and it has been established that inflammation in the body, including mouth and gums, plays an important role in the build up of clogged arteries.

But the latest study investigated whether the number of times individuals brush their teeth has any bearing on the risk of developing heart disease. The authors, led by Richard Watt, professor from University College London, analysed data from over 11,000 adults who took part in the Scottish Health Survey.

The research team analysed data about lifestyle behaviours such as smoking, physical activity and oral health routines.

Individuals were asked how often they visited the dentist (at least once every six months, every one to two years, or rarely/never) and how often they brushed their teeth.

On a separate visit, nurses collected information on medical history and family history of heart disease, blood pressure and blood samples from consenting adults.

The samples enabled the researchers to determine levels of inflammation that were present in the body. The data gathered from the interviews were linked to hospital admissions and deaths in Scotland until December 2007, said a University College London release.

The results demonstrate that oral health behaviour was generally good with 62 percent of participants saying they visit the dentist every six months and 71 percent reporting that they brush their teeth twice a day.

“our results confirmed and further strengthened the suggested association between oral hygiene and the risk of cardiovascular disease,” Watt said.

These findings were published in the British Medical Journal.