nPink, Tight, and Firm 

 

DENTAL FLOSS COULD SAVE YOUR LIFE

 

The past year uncovered one of the most unlikely ways to prevent heart disease: Keep your gums healthy. 

A large study at the University of North Carolina, better designed than previous studies, further validated what much other research had already hinted at: Periodontal disease is a risk factor for heart disease.  So what's the connection between your heart and your mouth?  The pockets formed when sick pockets pull away from teeth "have one of the highest concentrations of bacteria in the body," answers Prevention dental advisor Dominick Depaola, DDS, PhD, president of Baylor College of Dentistry in Dallas.  Gum disease is an infectious disease, and the infection can result in the bacteria being pumped into the blood stream, which may damage the heart walls or valves.  The bacteria may also cause the release of those cruel clotting factors that can spur heart attacks and strokes.

What you can do is keep up your flossing, which helps stop gum disease.  "The head is connected to the rest of the body.  So when you prevent disease in one place, like the mouth, it has all kinds of important consequences on overall health and well-being," says Dr. Depaola.  Sometimes life really is simple.

                                                                                                          Reprint from Prevention magazine  

 

 

 

The teeth below are coated in calculus an environment in which bacteria thrive.  The net result is gum disease, bone loss and tooth decay.

 

 

Below you see a periodontal probe being used to access the level of health of the gum tissues.

 

 

Have trouble flossing, your local drug store should be able to provide you with flossing aides to make your job easier.