Good oral health leads to general overall better health: How strokes may be preventable with oral care
1.º§ COLUMBIA, S.C. (WIS) - Neurologists at Prisma Health published results of a 17- year-long study of the potential link between oral health and stroke risk. A group of 9,666 patients was followed to study the relationship between gum disease severity and atrial fibrillation, an irregular heartbeat condition that doctors say is a huge risk factor for strokes. “We found that those who went to the dentist regularly – their risk of developing atrial fibrillation was almost 20% lower,” said Dr. Souvik Sen, researcher and Chair of Neurology at Prisma Health.
2.º§ Strokes are the third leading cause of death in South Carolina. The state is considered part of the Stroke Belt, a band of 11 southeastern states that exhibit higher rates of stroke mortalities. South Carolina is the buckle of the stroke belt, along with North Carolina and Georgia, and the buckle displays higher stroke mortality than other states in the country.
3.º§ Scruggs says the best way to maintain oral hygiene is to have a good routine at home of brushing twice a day and flossing once per day. Dentists say coming for dental checkups every six months is crucial for diagnosing gum disease and other issues. “Good oral health leads to general overall better health,” Sen said. “I think the 2 are very strongly tied to each other. Obviously, stroke is just one of them. There are other factors linked with oral health that would probably benefit as well.”
4.º§ “Gum disease is a painless problem that doesn’t have symptoms usually. The maintenance is the most important part because you really don’t know you have it until you have it – until you come in and it’s actually diagnosed,” said Dr. Caroline Hartley, a dentist at Southern Shores Dental.
5.º§ Sen says the study is in clinical trials and should wrap up by the end of this year. He says he expects to have the results of the study ready by early 2022.
Adapted from WISTV. Available at: https://www.wistv.com. Accessed 17 September 2021.
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