Visiting The Dentist For A Regular Scale And Polish Could Reduce Your Risk Of Stroke
New research from the Taipei Veterans General Hospital in Taiwan has found that regularly brushing your teeth alongside regular visits to the dentist could help prevent the risk of a stroke.
The research team found that performing a deep clean on your teeth could vastly reduce the risk of getting atrial fibrillation (irregular heartbeat), which is a known stroke risk factor. Even having your teeth polished every year seemed to provide a beneficial protective effect.
Patients who develop atrial fibrillation have a faster heartbeat, that could cause small blood clots which leads to the brain, causing a stroke. The increase in bacteria is thought speed up the rate at which the arteries get blocked.
The study group was made up of around 29,000 volunteers over the age of 60. They had no history of heart problems and were asked about the frequency in which they visited the dentist for teeth scaling, which is where the plaque and tartar build up is removed.
The volunteers were then monitored for nearly 5 years to identify who developed atrial fibrillation.
The research, which is published in the International Journal of Cardiology, revealed the patients who had a scale and polish performed by their dentist once a year had a reduced risk of developing an irregular heartbeat by a third. the more frequent the patients had this performed, the better the results.
This study highlights the importance of regular visits to your dentist. Having your teeth cleaned regularly to prevent gum disease also helps in the prevention of tooth loss, receding gums and cavities, along with fresh smelling breath.