It turns out that your colleague who dashes into the bathroom for a quick floss after lunch may be onto something.
A new Korean study has linked brushing teeth frequently with lower risks of atrial fibrillation and heart failure.
Previous research has already suggested that not maintaining your oral hygiene leads to bacteria in the blood which in turn causes inflammation in the body.
This inflammation increases the risks of atrial fibrillation (irregular heartbeat) and heart failure (the heart’s ability to pump blood or relax and fill with blood is impaired).
The new study took this one step further, looking at 161,000 Korean people aged 40 to 79 with no history of atrial fibrillation or heart failure.
During the 10-year follow-up, 3% developed atrial fibrillation while 4.9% developed heart failure.
But those who brushed their teeth three or more times a day appeared to have a 10% lower risk of atrial fibrillation and a 12% lower risk of heart failure – regardless of their age, sex, socioeconomic background, weight or other conditions.
Why was this the case?
The scientists believe brushing reduced the number of bacteria between your teeth and gums – preventing it from getting into your bloodstream where it can cause harm.
While they say it’s too early to recommend extra brushing, it is a reminder to take extra care of that smile – not just so you can flash your pearly whites at the bartender.
