Did you know that dental cleanings don’t just benefit your teeth and gum health, but your heart health as well? Studies have shown a link between professional dental cleanings and a healthier heart. In fact, patients who saw their dentist at least once every two years for professional scaling were 24% less likely to have a heart attack, and their risk of stroke dropped by 13%. This link may be inflammation, as both gum disease and heart disease involve inflammation. Gum inflammation is caused by bacterial exposure in the mouth which can spread throughout the body, and chronic inflammation is linked to a hardening of the arteries.
This means that your pearly whites are not alone in benefitting from a healthy mouth. A healthy smile impacts the body and most especially the heart. To maintain a healthy smile, you will want to remove oral bacteria every day by brushing and flossing meticulously. Bacteria which builds up causes plaque which can cause gum disease. Removing this buildup daily helps prevent this as well as cardiovascular disease.
At our professional dental cleanings, we will scrape, or “scale” hardened plaque off of your pearly whites and along the gum line. This periodic removal, combined with your diligent at-home care, helps build a solid foundation for good oral health. So be sure to maintain your healthy smile and keep your heart healthy along the way! To schedule a visit with Dr. Mark Jensen, please call our Summit Village Dental team in Lee’s Summit, Missouri at 816-287-5650 today.