Hear San Jose Dentist Paul Park share about the links between gum disease and heart disease and how South Bay residents react.

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From the time we were kids we’ve been told how important it is that we brush and floss our teeth at least twice a day. Like most people, I brush my teeth in the morning when I wake up and at night before bed. I floss as much as I can but I know I could improve. I’d even be willing to bet you’re the same way (I’ll give you two-to-one odds).

Juggling life can be so busy with work, school and everything else along the way, that every day many people neglect brushing and flossing as often as they should. And it’s understandable; it’s very easy to become entangled in a busy life style.

But the findings in a recent medical study may change how you think about your teeth and how much time you designate to properly keeping them clean and healthy. It may surprise you to learn how much your dental hygiene can impact your overall health. The proof is in the numbers.

Shocking statistic: 85 percent of adults have some form of gum disease, according to the Oral Health Report by the World Health Organization in 2003. So, if you’re an adult the odds are against you (good thing we didn’t make that bet). Unfortunately there’s more bad news.

Not only does poor dental hygiene translate in to forms of gum disease, bad breath (halitosis), dingy and discolored teeth and many other oral-based conditions, it also can increase the risk of blood clots and heart attacks, according to a study by a team of researchers from the University of Bristol and scientists from the Royal College of Surgeons in Dublin, Ireland released at the beginning of this month.

Here’s how it happens: when you undergo dental work or if your gums bleed when you brush or floss your teeth, you open your bloodstream making it vulnerable to bacteria. Now this is not news. We’ve known for some time that bacteria love living in the human mouth.

But, the behavior of Streptococcus bacteria (which usually resides in the human mouth and throat) after it’s entered the bloodstream, is news and exactly what researchers found to increase the risk of blood clots and heart attacks.

Once the bacteria are in the bloodstream, a tiny protein (PadA) on the outside of the bacteria captures blood platelets and clumps them together forming a blood clot, which (long story short) can block the passageway of blood to the heart and brain.

The good news is that science has discovered this and the research offers scientists’ and medical practitioners’ insight about “the relationship between gum disease and heart disease,” according to the Sept. 6 Medical News Today article about the breakthrough.

Also, the article highlights how the findings “could eventually lead to new treatments for cardiovascular disease which is the biggest killer in the developed world,” according to Dr. Howard Jenkinson, professor of Oral Microbiology at Bristol’s School of Oral and Dental Science.

Some more good news: with diet and exercise and healthy regulation of your blood pressure and cholesterol levels, you can help prevent future heart conditions with good dental hygiene. If your gums don’t bleed and your mouth is kept clean, you’re decreasing the probability of the bacteria entering the bloodstream. It’s very simple. This is another for reason dentists’ to stress brushing and flossing your teeth every day and regularly visiting your dentist.

If you think you have a severe form of gum (periodontal) disease there are advanced treatment options, such as PerioProtect.

So, the next time you’re either too tired or think you don’t have enough time in the day for brushing or flossing, remember what you read here. You’re health and heart may depend on it.