Campus Life

Health Shorts: Floss your teeth, help your heart

Your dentist has probably told you to floss only the teeth you want to keep. The sticky plaque that forms on teeth can form pockets of infection in the gums between the teeth that, if untreated, can lead to tooth loss. This chronic low-grade infection, known as periodontal disease, has also been linked to an increased risk of heart disease.

A study published in Circulation (April 1, 2008) found that men younger than 65 with periodontal disease had an increased risk of coronary heart disease that was independent of other factors such as smoking and diet. The greater the periodontal disease, the greater the incidence of heart disease. Young men who had lost all their teeth, presumably ending the infection, had a similarly increased risk, suggesting that some men may be more susceptible to inflammation, both in the gums and the coronary arteries.

[SOURCE: Thomas Dietrich, et al, “Age-dependent associations between chronic periodontitis/edentulism and risk of coronary heart disease,” Circulation, April 1, 2008].

Last Updated November 12, 2009

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