Quick, brush your teeth

Interesting article in Science Daily today … apparently …

Plaque-causing bacteria can jailbreak from the mouth into the bloodstream and increase your risk of heart attack, says a scientist at the Society for General Microbiology’s autumn meeting in Nottingham.

Professor Howard Jenkinson, from the University of Bristol explains how oral bacteria can wreak havoc if they are not kept in check by regular brushing and flossing. “Poor dental hygiene can lead to bleeding gums, providing bacteria with an escape route into the bloodstream, where they can initiate blood clots leading to heart disease,” he said.

Streptococcus bacteria commonly live in the mouth, confined within communities termed biofilms and are responsible for causing tooth plaque and gum disease. The University of Bristol researchers, in collaboration with scientists at the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland (RCSI), have shown that once let loose in the bloodstream, Streptococcus bacteria can use a protein on their surface, called PadA, as a weapon to force platelets in the blood to bind together and form clots.

Science Daily : Click here

Now thats interesting … its good scientific evidence for why you need to brush your teeth. However, from my viewpoint, the real cause of my coronary will be my daily efforts spent chasing after my kids as I try to get them to do it properly. At least now I can view such efforts as a truly worthwhile long-term investment.

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