Be Still My Beating Heart!

The Heart-Health Oral-Health Connection

Has your dentist asked about your heart health lately? I hope so, because your twice annual visits to the dentist may offer some important insight to the health of your heart.

Why Should My Dentist Care About Heart Health?

Many recent studies have noted a serious connection between the health of your teeth and gums to the health of your heart. These studies have found that people who have periodontal (gum) disease are twice as likely to have heart disease as those whose gums are healthy.

Other studies have found that common problems in the mouth, including gum disease, cavities and missing teeth, were as reliable for predicting heart disease as testing cholesterol levels .

What’s the Common Denominator Between Oral Health and Heart Health

It seems that the bacteria responsible for periodontal disease also plays a part in heart disease, which means halting the overgrowth of harmful bacteria in the mouth can curb the risk of poor heart health.

How Do I Halt the Overgrowth of Bacteria in My Mouth?

Well, bacteria are going to grow in your mouth because bacteria love the conditions of the mouth – it’s warm, dark and wet! In fact, the average human mouth is home to up to 750 different species of bacteria. Most of those bacteria are completely harmless. A few are known to cause diseases in the mouth, like cavities and periodontal disease. A few more are known for the benefits they offer to teeth and gums – most notably, for keeping the harmful bacteria in check.

If Halting the Bacterial Growth Isn’t the Answer, What Is?

First and foremost, brushing twice daily and flossing once a day will help minimize the overgrowth of the harmful bacteria by removing their food source – sugar and undigested bits of food caught between the teeth.

Secondly, consider using oral probiotic mints to boost the beneficial bacteria that naturally thrive in your mouth. By competing with harmful bacteria for both space and nutrients, these beneficial bacteria help crowd out the bacteria from  tooth surfaces, in tooth crevices and beneath the gum line.

Probiotic mints are also helpful in reducing bad breath while naturally and gently whitening teeth. Who knew keeping your mouth healthy was as simple as popping a tasty oral probiotic mint after brushing?