Doctors have long discovered that the overall health of the entire body is directly related to the health of the teeth. But only recently Swedish doctors have proven that there is a direct link between the number of teeth a patient has and the risk of death from cardiovascular diseases such as myocardial infarction.
Specialists followed more than 7,500 people for 12 years, many of whom have suffered from periodontitis, an inflammation of the peri-dental tissue. This disease occurs as a consequence of neglected caries, which turns into chronic inflammation of the tooth bone and as a consequence - tooth loss.
Over the course of the study, 629 participants died, 299 of them from cardiovascular disease. The analysis showed that people who had only 10 of their own teeth or fewer had a seven times higher risk of dying from coronary heart disease than people of the same age and sex who had 25 teeth or more.
Prolonged infection affects primarily the heart, which develops endocarditis, an inflammation of the internal pouch.
There may also be infectious lesions of the valves, inflammatory processes in the vessels, which contribute to the development of atherosclerosis.
Quality oral hygiene starting in early childhood will help prevent such consequences. Also, do not forget to visit your dentist regularly for preventive check-ups and regular check-ups professional dental cleaning. Then your smile will be flawless and your heart will be healthy.