Do you remember the last time you visited the dentist? It might have more benefits than just a sparkling smile.
Recent research from the University of Michigan suggests that regular dental care might help heart attack patients recover faster.
The Importance of Dental Visits: Everyone knows that brushing, flossing, and regular visits to the dentist keep our teeth and gums in top shape.
But the health of our mouth might also have a big impact on other parts of our body. Especially our heart.
What Did the Research Show?
Researchers wanted to see if there was a connection between how often people visit the dentist and how quickly they recover after having a heart attack.
They looked at patients who had heart attacks in 2017. Some of these patients regularly visited the dentist, some had special gum treatments, while others didn’t have any dental care. Here’s what they found:
People who had a heart attack and were also getting regular gum treatments had the shortest stays in the hospital and went to more follow-up doctor visits.
On the other hand, those who never visited the dentist spent the longest time in the hospital after their heart attack.
Interestingly, the researchers didn’t say that having gum problems directly causes heart issues. But they did suggest that having a healthy mouth could play a role in a faster recovery from some serious health problems like heart attacks.
Why Is This Important?
Each year, a lot of people in the U.S. have heart attacks — around 800,000! And this research showed that if these people have gum problems, they might need to stay longer in the hospital.
That’s a big deal because a longer stay in the hospital can be tough on the patient and also costs a lot more money.
Plus, being in good dental health is good for us in many ways. Not only does it keep our teeth and gums strong, but it might also help our overall health.
The big takeaway from this research is that our body is like a system. If one part isn’t working well (like our mouth), it might affect another part (like our heart).
So, What Should We Do?
Romesh Nalliah, one of the main people behind this research, gave some advice. He believes that doctors and dentists should talk more. If they work together, they can help spot problems early on and help patients get the right treatments.
For example, if a doctor knows that their patient has heart problems, they can remind them to also see a dentist. And vice versa.
This way, both the doctor and the dentist can give the best advice and care for the patient’s overall health.
Nalliah also thinks it’s a good idea to make dental care a regular part of our usual health check-ups.
Right now, many people see their doctor and dentist separately, and sometimes, the two never talk to each other about the same patient.
If they worked more closely, they could catch problems earlier and maybe even prevent some big health issues down the road.
Plus, there’s a practical side to all of this. Many people have separate insurance for dental and regular health care.
Nalliah suggests that it might be easier and better if these were combined. That way, it could be simpler for patients to get all the care they need.
Next time you think about skipping your dentist appointment, remember: it’s not just about avoiding cavities.
Regular dental check-ups might just give your heart a boost too. So, keep up with your dental visits, brush, floss, and take care of your heart in the process.
If you care about dental health, please read studies about best food for tooth and gum health, and how to prevent and reverse gum disease.
For more information about dental health, please see recent studies about diabetes and gum disease, and results showing this diet could help treat gum disease.
The study was published in The Journal of the American Dental Association.
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