One More Reason to Brush Your Teeth

Skipping a brushing could lead to more than bad breath.

Think about this the next time you rush through brushing your teeth or decide to skip flossing:

You’re more likely to have elevated C-reactive protein (CRP) levels — and a higher risk of heart disease — if you have gum disease.

According to the Readers Digest article, “Gum diseases are bacterial infections that destroy the gum and bone that hold your teeth in your mouth. When this happens your gums separate from the teeth, forming pockets that fill with plaque and even more bacteria. About 15 percent of adults between ages 21 and 50, and 30 percent over 50, have gum disease. And overall, studies find that people with gum disease are almost twice as likely to suffer from coronary heart disease as those who don’t have it.“.  This greatly highlights the need to be brushing your teeth more regularly than we sometimes do.

Gum disease may allow oral bacteria to enter the bloodstream, triggering the liver to make inflammatory proteins like CRP. The bacteria may also play a direct role in injuring the arteries, according to researchers.

So the next time you feel too tired to brush your teeth before going to sleep or after a meal, you want to consider the other health benefits of regular tooth brushing. Remember that it’s not just bad breath you get rid of but a lot of other potential health problems not usually associated with dental health.

Source: Readers Digest

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Enhance Dental Centre is a dental clinic in Kitsilano, Vancouver that offers general as well as cosmetic dental services.