The Way To A Healthy Heart Is Through The Mouth, Really!

General TreatmentsThe Way to a Healthy Heart is Through the Mouth, Really! | New Smiles | Sherwood OR

Heart health is something that interests a lot of adults today. Research is pointing out that we are outdoing our ancestors regarding life expectancy, and this is a statistic with both pros and cons. On the upside, we get more years to fulfill that Bucket List. Conversely, living longer means that we need to put in a little extra effort in the area of health and wellness. We can’t scratch off our Bucket List items if we’re not well enough to get out and adventure a little.

There are several ways in which heart health can be well-managed. More and more people are adopting healthy lifestyle habits like eating vegetarian or at least cutting some meat out of their diet. They are avoiding tobacco and drinking more water. An additional way to protect the heart is by attending to the needs of the mouth. Let’s see how this works.

Making Connections

Research is all about making connections; hypotheses and tests, theories and outcomes. What researchers have found in their study of the heart is that there are conditions that are related to bacteria. This has led to the extended investigation into where that bacteria may come from. What was concluded is that it comes from the mouth. It’s not that far of a stretch at all. Bacteria live in the mouth. These microorganisms deposit acidic byproduct. This byproduct weakens enamel and also degrades gum tissue. Through tiny openings in the gums and the mouth, the same bacteria that have caused problems here can hop into the bloodstream and “go with the flow.” The thing is, blood flows right to the heart.

Bacteria are not heart-healthy. They can cause and exacerbate conditions such as:

  • Endocarditis, or the inflammation and infection of the endocardium, the layer of tissue that lines the heart.
  • Cardiovascular disease, a family of conditions that may include heart arrhythmia, poor circulation throughout the body, and more serious cardiac events.
  • Cardiovascular disease is a risk factor for the occurrence of heart attack and stroke.

Schedule a Consultation

It may sound simplistic to think that taking good care of your teeth and gums can benefit your heart. However, the research proves that this is exactly the case. Schedule your checkup and cleaning in our Sherwood, OR office at (503) 925-9595.

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