Thinking of skipping that before-bed brush of the teeth? Think again. Researchers have found avoiding a night-time scrub puts you at a higher risk of heart disease.
A new study suggests oral hygiene habits can have an impact on cardiovascular conditions, increasing chances of developing complications such as angina, heart failure or heart attacks.
They said only brushing in the morning is “inadequate” and “most important is brushing teeth at night before going to bed”.
Scientists studied patients who visited the Osaka University Hospital in Japan between April 2013 and March 2016 for examination, surgery or treatment.
They split people into four groups – people who brushed twice a day; those who only brushed in the morning; people who only did it at night; and those who did not scrub at all
The study looked at 1,675 patients aged 20 and over. Age, gender, smoking history, dental and medical records were also evaluated.
They found non-smokers who only brush their teeth in the morning, as well as those who do not brush their teeth at all, had the worst prognosis when hospitalised with a cardiovascular health problem.
People who brushed twice daily and those who brushed only at night had higher survival rates.
The research, published in Nature’s journal Scientific Reports, states: “The findings clearly indicate that only brushing in the morning after waking up is inadequate and that brushing at night is good to maintain good health.”
It adds: “To prevent cardiovascular diseases, brushing teeth before breakfast is necessary, but most important is brushing teeth at night before going to bed.”