The relationship between good oral hygiene and a healthy body might not be immediately evident, but regular dental visits do more than keep your teeth sparkling.
A team of researchers tracked more that 100,000 people in Taiwan for an average of 7 years. During that time they found that people who had their teeth cleaned by a professional once every 24 months were 24% less likely to have a heart attack and 13% less to have a stroke.
The American Dental Association recommends you have your teeth professionally cleaned once every 6 months, imagine how much that reduces your risk!
Another study suggest that a low number of teeth has an association with dementia later in life. It has not been proven that tooth loss causes dementia but the study found that people who lost teeth before the age of 35 had an increased risk of suffering from the condition.
Gum disease has been linked to progression in diabetes and lung disease such as pneumonia and bronchitis. One more reason to keep up on a flossing routine.
Conception and pregnancy can also be effected by your oral hygiene. In a recent study it took women with gum disease and average of 7 months to conceive while women with healthy gums were conceiving in 5 months or less. Women with gum disease were also found to be three fourths more likely to deliver prematurely.
It is unclear whether or not oral hygiene actually cause these conditions but as research continues, experts agree it cant hurt to play it safe!
