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# Oral Hygeine is Good for the Heart
- URL: https://www.foodconsumer.org/oral_hygeine_is_good_for_the_heart_2805100935/
- Published: 2010-05-28T10:28:00.000Z
- Updated: 2026-09-22T15:54:22.000Z
- Description: A survey of 11,000 people in Scotland found those who brushed their teeth less than twice a day were 70 percent more likely to have had a heart attack, and more often tested positive for inflammatory markers. Researchers adjusted for obesity, family history, smoking and social class.
- Author: Rachel Stockton
- Tags: Avoiding Illness, #vivvo-import

Your mother was right, brushing your teeth at least twice a day helps keep cavities away; but what she probably didn’t know was that good oral hygiene may reduce the risk of heart disease.

Researchers in England studied 11,000 people in what is being deemed as the “Scottish Health Survey” to measure exactly how much of a role oral health plays in cardiosvascular risk.

The researchers adjusted the statistical evidence for other factors, such as obesity, family history, smoking habits, and social class. Additionally, they asked participants how often they went to the dentist: once every six months, every 1 or 2 years, rarely, or never. 

They were then questioned on their tooth brushing habits: twice a day, once a day or less. Of those tested, 62% went to the dentist every six month, 71% brushed their teeth at least twice a day.

The results confirmed what researchers have already come to suspect; that oral health may be linked to cardiovascular risk. Those who admitted to brushing their teeth less than twice a day were 70% more likely to have a heart attack.

The key to this puzzle is inflammation, which is a major factor in determining whether or not a person will develop atherosclerosis . Those who brushed their teeth less frequently tested positive for inflammation markers in the blood stream (WebMd).

Periodontal disease is a chronic infection of the tissues surrounding the teeth and is a result of poor oral hygiene. The researchers conducting the Scottish survey surmise that this disease puts a greater inflammatory burden on those afflicted with it, thus contributing to the risk of heart disease.

According to the American Heart Association website, avoiding dental disease is also crucial in lowering the risk of heart infection. Although bacteria can get into the bloodstream by merely brushing our teeth, the probability of this happening is much less if the tissues around the teeth are healthy.