Good oral health may help you recover from a heart attack

Oral Health Foundation wants the link between oral health and cardiovascular health to be more widely understood so people can reduce their chances of fatal illness. New research has found that bacteria which causes gum disease produces an enzyme that affects the immune cells and slows down the healing and recovery of arteries after a heart attack. So it follows that good oral health can help heart attack suffers from further cardiovascular problems.

Dr Nigel Carter OBE, CEO of the Oral Health Foundation, said: “This is incredibly interesting research which could offer hope to the future of millions of people affected by cardiovascular disease. There has been evidence for some time that gum disease increases the risk of cardiovascular disease but to now understand that preventing gum disease can also prevent further problems for victims of a heart attack opens up many interesting avenues for ongoing treatment. Preventing gum disease is relatively simple, you need to ensure you brush twice a day with a fluoride toothpaste and all clean in between your teeth with an interdental brush or floss at least one a day. Combined with regular visits to a dentist you can prevent gum disease from progressing and affecting you in further ways. This study certainly suggests that good oral health could significantly improve the outcome of patients who have a heart attack and we eagerly welcome more research into this.”