flossing

Brushing Regularly can Help Heart Health

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An interesting article titled “Porphyromonas gingivalis, a periodontal pathogen, impairs post-infarcted myocardium by inhibiting autophagosome–lysosome fusion” written by Yuka Shiheido-Watanabe and et. al. appears in the International Journal of Oral Science. This study investigated the molecular mechanisms underlying the adverse effects of P.g. infection on post-MI myocardial remodeling. P.g. infection impaired autophagosome–lysosome fusion, a step in the autophagy process. The study showed that the periodontal pathogen Porphyromonas gingivalis can exacerbate heart damage after a heart attack. The researchers found that the bacterium can accumulate at the site of injury and contribute to tissue damage. The mechanisms for which this occurs is stil under investigation. In an effort to understand how Porphyromonas gingivalis contributes to heart damage, the researchers developed a modified version of the bacterium that lacks a key protein called gingipain. This protein is known to protect cells from … Read more

If you Have Bleeding Gums you May Need More Vitamin C

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An interesting article titled “Bleeding tendency and ascorbic acid requirements: systematic review and meta-analysis of clinical trials” written by P. P. Hujoel et al., appears in the 2021 edition of Nutrition Reviews (Vol. 79, no. 9, pp. 964–975). The authors sought out to conduct a systematic review and meta-analysis of controlled clinical trials on whether ascorbic acid also known as Vitamin C supplementation leads to less bleeding of the gums on gentle probing also described as gingival bleeding tendency and (2) to relate Vitamin C plasma levels to bleeding of the eye known as retinal hemorrhaging. In the study, the authors investigated 15 prior clinical trials in six: India, Indonesia, Italy, Germany, the United Kingdom, and United States, with 1,140 participants with 97.4% of them being healthy, with measures of gingival bleeding tendency. The authors also looked at data from … Read more

Is Flossing Really Beneficial?

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As the perceived wisdom goes, flossing helps keep your teeth healthy and prevents gum disease. However, studies in recent years have called into question this long-established recommendation, see also https://blog.teethremoval.com/experts-insist-flossing-does-nothing-to-limit-tooth-decaycould-they-be-correct/. So what are the benefits of flossing, if any? Despite the apparent lack of evidence for any health benefits of flossing, both the British and American dental associations still recommend incorporating it into your daily routine. And whilst the evidence to support flossing isn’t there, there isn’t any evidence to show that the activity doesn’t have any benefits. The purpose of using dental floss is to remove food and other residue from between the teeth. It can also help to prevent bloody gums and inflammation from gingivitis, as well as reduce the build-up of plaque on teeth. Reducing all of these factors can help prevent gum disease. So although there … Read more