Many people take care of their teeth by brushing several times a day, but did you know how well you take care of your teeth and gums can have a direct impact on your overall health? In recent years studies have looked at the rates of gum disease and tracked them in comparison to rates of heart disease in patients.  They found that those with chronic gingivitis or gum disease in general, or those with poor dental hygiene, had significantly increased risks for heart failure later in life.  The reasons for this have been traced to certain bacterias that grow in a person’s mouth, which slowly damage the heart’s cells and weaken the muscle that pumps the heart.  In addition, several of them also help create platelets, the artery blocking cells that often latch onto cholesterol in our blood.

There are many steps the average person can take to improve their smile and their dental healthy.  Going to a dentist regularly for cleanings is often important, and a good amount of times to do so is twice per year at a minimum.  Cutting down on sugary sodas as well is essential, as these are the things the bacteria feed most off of.  Drinking splenda or artificial sweetener based products will avoid a lot of these problems without really any changes in the taste of what you’re drinking.  This will help improve your dental health more than most things you can do.  Mouthwash is also often used by people, but you want to make sure the mouthwash you use is alcohol based and you use it consistently.  Non-regular mouthwash use can actually make the problem worse as it kills the less resistant strains of bacteria while allowing the resistant strains to continue to propagate.

Of course there are other benefits to having a great smile other than your heart health, new studies indicate that people who have healthy dental practices also have healthier bodies and better metabolisms.  In a recent study it was shown that people who maintained a healthy smile and low incidence of tooth decay were far less likely to experience diabetes onset as adults.  There’s many reasons this is thought to occur, one being that those people typically don’t drink much high sugar content sodas (one of the primary causes of obesity).  This is certainly one of the easier ways to control your waistline, however, and also help you prevent a lot of chronic diseases.

Myths about Proper Dental Care

Many people don’t maintain their proper dental hygiene because they believe several common myths about doing so.  One of the most prevalent is that it’s painful.  In reality, taking care of your teeth by using sonic toothbrushes and brushing several times a day actually cuts down on your cleanings at the dentist, and helps reduce pain during those visits.  This also helps with sensitive teeth, since it builds up the enamel around the tooth with regular commitment.

Another major misconception about proper dental hygiene is that it’s genetic.  In reality there are some genetic factors, such as the depth of crevices in your teeth, which can cause problems for proper dental care.  However, research clearly indicates that people can achieve improvements in their heart disease risks and other associated illnesses just  by regular dental care.  This was not based upon any sort of stringent requirements to have good genes beforehand.  Merely improving this aspect of your health can help you cut the risk of weight gain, diabetes and heart disease later in life.  It’s an important aspect to consider whenever you are trying to improve your health.