OT - Women (and Men!) Wednesday
Can oral health (your teeth!) impact your HEART? Taking care of your teeth is not yet a proven way to prevent heart disease, but many studies have shown a connection between gum disease (periodontitis) and other serious conditions, including heart disease. The common thread between oral and cardiovascular health is inflammation. In gum disease, bacteria clings around the roots of the teeth and irritates the gums. In heart disease and stroke, it's plaque that builds up in arteries, potentially blocking blood flow.
Research suggests that periodontitis is associated with an increased risk of developing heart disease and that people with chronic gum disease have increased thickness of their neck blood vessels. There is also a strong correlation between diabetes and cardiovascular disease, and evidence that people with diabetes benefit from professional teeth cleanings.
Even though oral health isn't a key to heart disease prevention, it's important to take care of your teeth and gums:
- Brush your teeth at least twice a day.
- Floss daily.
- Replace your toothbrush every three months — or sooner if the bristles become bent.
- Schedule regular dental checkups and cleanings.
Brush your teeth. You might be helping your heart.
Pick the right toothbrush!
Size Matters! The best toothbrush head for you should allow you easy access to all surfaces of your teeth. For most adults, a toothbrush head a half-inch wide and one-inch tall will be the easiest to use and the most effective. Though there are larger toothbrush heads available, you may find that it is difficult to maneuver them to clean certain hard-to-reach areas, such as the sides and backs of your molars. The toothbrush should have a long enough handle so you can comfortably hold it in your hand.
Bristle variety. If you go to the drug store to purchase a manual toothbrush or a replacement head for your electric toothbrush, you will be able to select a toothbrush with soft, medium, or hard nylon bristles. For the vast majority of people, a soft-bristled toothbrush will be the most comfortable and safest choice. Depending on how vigorously you brush your teeth and the strength of your teeth, medium- and hard-bristled brushes could actually damage the gums, root surface, and protective tooth enamel. For even more tooth protection when you brush, be sure the bristles on the toothbrush you select have rounded tips.
WHAT IF YOU CANNOT BRUSH YOUR TEETH?
Eat an apple! The fibrous content of apples cleans teeth by acting as a toothbrush and scrubbing away plaque from teeth, and removing other food debris. ... Be sure to leave the skin on the apple, since it is full of the mouth-healthy fiber that helps keep teeth and gums clean.
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Comments
I have read this information
I have read this information as well and it's one of the reasons I am a bit concerned about my almost 90 yo father. He has not been to a dentist in years (maybe decades lol). He started to lose teeth maybe about 10 years ago.. in the last few years... more often. He still has enough teeth to chew food, but looks pretty bad. Now, this is a guy that has the money to get his teeth taken care of. I think he is brushing but probably not taking full care of his teeth.. and certainly not going to see a dentist for checkups. He had some bad experiences with dental work when he was younger so I think that is driving this reluctance to go back. And... no one can make him do a thing. In fact, he almost died (twice) early this year from the flu and pneumonia and I have asked him several times if he has gotten his flu shot.. nope.. not yet. The last time I asked him I told him that I wasn't going to keep nagging because honestly, if he wants to gamble with his own life??? that is his perogative. It's a little like what we say about stepkids and their parents. "you can't care more than their parents do". My dad has an ivy league education.. is still very sharp and he knows the risks.. in fact experienced a near death experience due to it... so if he doesn't care about his health.. I can't do it for him.
Dang, ESMOD, that's a shame!
Dang, ESMOD, that's a shame! Especially since some dentists are doing sedation dentistry.
Yep.. I know. When my dad
Yep.. I know. When my dad was dying earlier this year.. he made promises he would get his teeth fixed.. get his flu shot etc.. But, Now? Nope.. he just basically says.. "I will get to it" but never does. Like I told him... he is not gambling with house money.. he is gambling his life.. not mine. Quite frankly, I have more incentive to let him NOT do this stuff since I would get an inheritance.. but I still do try to ask and remind him.. I just can't force him to do things that are in his own best interest. He is fairly indepandant in his mind.. he has caregivers during the day to help him.. but just because he is not as physically steady as he used to be.
When we love people, we nag
When we love people, we nag them to keep up their health so we can have them in our lives as long as possible.
This makes me want apples at
This makes me want apples at work! Also reminds me of college...
I got my first cavity ever... They naturally messed up on the filling, went WAY too close to the nerve in the tooth (an area that wasn't even infected.) And so then it turned into a root canal. I thought it was fixed. Not so! I started having this SUPEr bad pain, it wasn't letting me sleep at night, I couldn't focus in class. Went in to the dentist, my root canal had "somehow" broken (suspicions... I mean they messed up on a filling...) and I had this GIANT infection beneath the tooth and clear down into my jaw. Lovely. So then my first cavity turned into a pulled tooth and a bone graft at the top of the jaw since their bad, they had to chip away at some to get the infection out. Then I was started on antobiotics.
So while on the antobiotics, the pain goes away, then it comes back in full force, AND now my chest hurts SUPER bad. I call my insurance nursing hotline and the nurse informs me that "get to a doctor now! The infection has spread to your heart!" (it hadn't by the way... Must have just been a boring day at work or something...) So I went back to the dentist and explained it, come to find out the antobiotic wasn't strong enough, so they gave me another (the chest pain is still unexplained... But gone) now I have an inplant. LOL
But with the gums and teeth being linked to heart disease, that nurse's response sounds a lot less ridiculous... LMAO
Good grief, PA! That's AWFUL!
Good grief, PA! That's AWFUL!!!! Glad you recovered. That dental experience must have left a bad taste in your mouth...
lol. It's much funnier
lol. It's much funnier looking back on it now... Plus I mean I had to make up for a childhood of cavities... So it was bound to be a bad one when it happened...
I still go to the dentist
Psssst.... I'm eating a
Psssst.... I'm eating a Granny Smith apple.
Teeth Cleaning & Antibiotics
So I have tachycardia (sp?) with single extra beats, and single missing beats, that is aggrevated by anxiety & caffeine. Got the all-clear from cardiologist after testing with holter monitors, EKG's, and a myocardiogram, where they view the heart beating. Was told I was athlete-healthy, so I learned some stress management techniques and dealt.
However, my then long-term dental office told me they wouldn't clean my teeth unless I was on antibiotics. I am NOT going to take antibiotics twice a year & build up immunity just to protect the dental practice from a lawsuit I would never file, so I switched dentists and did not include "irregular heartbeat" on the form (= lie of omission). No problem since then.
SU, it depends on the dentist
SU, it depends on the dentist and how old their info is. My former dentist (now retired) USED to have me take antibiotics, but that changed. My new dentist was insisting I needed antibiotics...until they got a note from my cardiologist telling them I do NOT.
It depends on dentist and
It depends on dentist and doctor. I took antibiotics for two years, was re-evaluated, and don't do it now.
It also depends on the severity of your murmur and overall health. So a chat with your doc may be a good thing for you to do.
Oh, I'm good to go with NO
Oh, I'm good to go with NO antibiotics.
I have never had a cavatie,
I have never had a cavatie, never had braces (but probably should have them now) and only had wisdom teeth extracted, however I have always had a less that aggressive approach with dental care due to not really having any problems. I hate flossing, I have tried and tried to get on that horse but just can't stay on it no matter what methods I employ. I do have receding gums but the only tooth I have lost is one of two deciduous teeth that is hereditary (both sisters had theirs removed, I'm cheap and just waiting on the other to loosen and come out lol) then I'll get the partial lol
As for heart issues, I always had lower than normal heart rate untill the past maybe 10 years now it jumps all over the place, from a nurse double checking to see if I'm alive to "Damn that thing should have exploded !"
I like the little dental
I like the little dental picks with floss and a pointy end. I keep them at home, in my car, AND at work so that I can floss wherever I am!