A recent study found that not brushing your teeth at night could increase the risk of cardiovascular disease.
- Many scientific studies show that poor oral hygiene has a negative impact on health.
- A new Japanese study reveals that the timing of toothbrushing is important. To reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease, according to researchers, it is necessary to wash them morning and evening.
- Health professionals should promote morning and evening toothbrushing to their patients, scientists say.
You’re too lazy to brush your teeth when you’re about to slip into bed ? It might be a good idea to pluck up your courage and head to your bathroom. A study, conducted by the University of Osaka, reveals that not brushing your teeth before going to bed increases the risk of cardiovascular disease.
Teeth : don’t forget the evening brushing to preserve your heart.
After the publication of numerous studies showing a link between poor oral hygiene and various diseases, including cancers, respiratory, gastrointestinal and cardiovascular diseases, Japanese researchers wanted to know the precise impact of the timing of toothbrushing. on cardiovascular health. They thus recruited 1,675 patients hospitalized for surgery, examination or medical treatment within their establishment.
Scientists have classified them based on their toothbrushing habits: evening and morning, evening, morning (mainly before breakfast) or not at all. The medical records of these patients were also studied to identify diagnoses of cardiovascular disease. (heart failure, arrhythmia, myocardial infarction, angina pectoris and valvular and aortic diseases).
Data analysis revealed that brushing alone in the morning after waking up was not enough to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease. Participants who brushed their teeth twice a day, including in the evening before bed, had the highest survival rates.
Brushing your teeth at night reduces harmful bacteria in the mouth
For the researchers, their results suggest that the timing of toothbrushing plays a crucial role in preventing cardiovascular disease, and therefore it is important to do so. Morning And evening. “These implications are consistent with the theory that bacterial load intraoral increases during sleep at night due to reduced saliva flow”write the authors in their article published in the journal Nature June 28, 2023.
For them, brushing their teeth before sleeping could help reduce the presence of harmful bacteria in the mouth, which would help prevent heart disorders likeheart failure, arrhythmia or myocardial infarction.
If the causes of the link between oral health and that of the heart remain rather mysterious, the team advances several possible mechanisms: “Loss of teeth due to periodontal disease or dental caries due to an increase in oral bacteria impairs the efficiency and health of chewing; disturbance of the balance of intestinal bacteria by oral bacteria can be detrimental to health and cardiovascular events develop from bacteremia caused by periodontal disease”.
To raise awareness the importance of brushing your teeth morning and evening
The results of this study highlight the importance of raising awareness in the general population about the appropriate time to brush their teeth. It is recommended to brush your teeth in the morning after waking up and in the evening before bed to maximize the benefits for oral and cardiovascular health.
Healthcare professionals should encourage their patients to adopt this habit and become aware of its impact on their overall health.
