Tuesday February 25, 2020
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The connection between oral and heart health has been investigated for several years. Researchers are now testing a toothpaste that stains and makes dental plaque visible. The more thorough brushing achieved in this way is also intended to reduce the risks of heart attack and stroke.
If you don’t brush your teeth, you get tooth decay and bacterial infection of the gums. The inflammation on the gums not only causes damage to the mouth, but can strain the entire body. For this reason, researchers in the USA tested the effect of a toothpaste that stains dental plaque. This color should enable users to see where they need to clean more and better in order to remove all deposits. This is to reduce the risk of gingivitis.
Bacteria from the mouth are suspected of promoting diseases such as arteriosclerosis and accordingly increasing the risk of heart attack and stroke. The research team led by Charles Hennekens from Florida Atlantic University wanted to know whether the special toothpaste called Plaque HD® actually makes consumers brush better, according to a statement from the university.
For their investigation, the researchers won 132 study participants, who divided them into two groups. The subjects were all given the same toothbrushes and given the task of brushing their teeth for 30 days using the same instructions. However, half of the subjects received the coloring toothpaste, the other half a very similar toothpaste, only without coloring parts.
Inflammation levels decreased
At the beginning and at the end of their study, the researchers measured a value from the test subjects’ blood that is considered a biomarker for inflammatory reactions in the body. The so-called C-reactive protein, which bears the name hs-CRP, supports the immune system in fighting inflammation in the body. If the concentration is high, the researchers assume several inflammatory reactions, which in turn increases the risk of heart attack and stroke.
When evaluating the data, the researchers saw an effect particularly in the test subjects who started the investigation with high inflammation values. The values decreased by brushing with the coloring toothpaste. It can only be clarified with further examinations whether the more thorough cleaning with the toothpaste staining toothpaste actually reduces the risks of heart attacks and strokes. The current results published in the “American Journal of Medicine” already provide an indication of the connection.
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