Oral Health Linked to Overall Health

Your teeth and gums are more than the key to your smile, they can be the key to your overall health.

More and more insurance companies are including better and more dental benefits because of the link doctors are finding between what's in your mouth and what's going on inside the rest of your body.

10 On Your Side Health Team found some information that will cause you to take brushing and flossing more seriously in order to lower some health risks for you and your family.

Danny Bowen's heart was a beat away from a heart attack.

He says his chest pain that ended with a trip to the hospital was, "A huge wake up. I consider myself to be a blessed man... the doctor told me I was a time bomb waiting to go off."

Danny got a second chance after 5 way bypass surgery but his cardiologist Dr. Jeff Todd says that isn't what always happens to patients

Cardiologist Dr. Jeff Todd, with Consultants in Cardiology in Roanoke says, "They don't get a second chance to get this disease taken care of. "

More and more people are getting clues about their heart problems at the dentist's office. Perhaps the last place you would think.

Hygienist Becky Dagley says many of her patients mirror the latest research that suggests taking good care of your teeth and gums by cutting back on bacteria that can form in the mouth can benefit your heart health.

"You see it a lot you can see the connections when you start seeing people everyday," says Dagley.

Researchers remain focused on the mouth body connection and Ten On Your Side Health Team found some startling information from the Mayo Clinc.

According to MayoClinic.com:
*Good dental health may not only lower your risk for heart disease
*Gum disease can lead to premature births
*Diabetes puts you at more risk for gum disease
*One of the first signs of AIDS is often a severe gum infection that may be spotted in your dentist chair
*Dental X-rays your dentist may be able to spot the earliest signs of osteoporosis or bone loss through them

Dr. Todd says, "I don't want someone to be falsely mislead that they are doing well because their teeth are good."

That a heart test like this will turn out normal...but..

"I think it's important but it would be more of a secondary concern," says Dr. Todd.

Whether it is exercise... eating a low fat diet with lots of fruits and vegetables... or getting a good doctor and dental checkup as often as possible

Dr. Todd says, "The best patients are the most informed."

Danny found out about his heart problem the way many men do - pain in his chest - he wasn't lucky enough to have his dentist spot it. Now he works out as often as he can, eats the right food, and he'll listen to his doctors too.

Link to American Heart Association

Link to American Dental Association