Regular visits to the dentist for a dental cleaning can provide more than a very bright smile.
According to data collected by scientists in Taiwan, people whose teeth are professionally cleaned have a 24 percent lower risk of having a heart attack and 13 percent less chance of having a stroke (stroke), compared to those who never They underwent dental cleaning.
Poor oral hygiene has been linked to a greater increase in the risk of heart disease.
The researcher who published his study findings at a meeting of the American Heart Association in Orlando on Sunday, concluded that professional dental cleaning seems to reduce bacterial growth that causes inflammation and can cause heart disease.
“The protection against heart disease and stroke was more pronounced in participants who underwent dental cleaning at least once a year,” said Dr. Zu-Yin Chen, cardiologist at the Veterans General Hospital in Taipei, who presented the findings
The analysis of more than 100,000 people began in 2007 and focused on the insured databases of the Taiwan National Health System. None of those studied had a history of heart attack or stroke, but the analysis did not adjust the risk of factors such as smoking or obesity.
The scientists said that a higher frequency in professional dental cleaning entails a large reduction in the risk of heart disease, and they defined a higher frequency as at least two visits to the dentist for a cleaning every two years.