Experts show dental link to heart disease

PEOPLE who fail to brush their teeth twice a day have a higher chance of heart disease, according to a Scottish survey.

The link between gum disease and heart problems is already known, but experts have now been able to measure the effect of daily brushing.

The new study found that people who never or rarely brush their teeth are 70 per cent more likely to suffer heart disease than those who brush twice a day.

Experts from University College London analysed data for more than 11,000 people with an average age of 50 taking part in the Scottish Health Survey.

Writing online in the British Medical Journal (BMJ), author Professor Richard Watt said: "Our results confirmed and further strengthened the suggested association between oral hygiene and the risk of cardiovascular disease."

He added: "Furthermore, inflammatory markers were significantly associated with a very simple measure of poor oral health behaviour."