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Keep your teeth until you die: our guide to great gums will spare your teeth, help you diet, and even lower your risk of heart disease and stroke

Men's Fitness, May, 2002 by Robrt L. Pela

If you want to keep your Mother Nature-given teeth to the bitter end, you've got two options: Schedule your bitter end for 10 years from Tuesday, or take care of your choppers while you've still got 'em.

Teeth are useful. They allow you to chew and digest food; they help you to pronounce words; and they're recommended for extended neck nibbling. But treat them badly and they'll crumble into dust, mess up your digestive system, and spew poison that can lead to heart-stopping blood clots.

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Not to get personal, but your mouth is the dirtiest part of your body--a warm, wet breeding ground for germs and other scary matter. Among the nastier things growing there is plaque, a film of bacteria and mucous that adheres to your teeth within hours after eating and produces decay-causing acids and gum-disease-causing toxins. Removing plaque before it hardens into tartar (which then has to be scaled off by a dentist) will prevent gingivitis, an infection of the gum tissue and the most common of periodontal diseases.

Sore, swollen gums that bleed easily are a tip-off that you--like half your fellow Americans--have gingivitis, which is preventable through good oral hygiene and even reversible with regular professional cleanings. Left untreated, gingivitis will usually progress to periodontitis, which affects the connective tissue structures and bones in your jaw. Once your teeth have been compromised in this manner, you're on your way to gum surgery and/or Denture Mart.

Having a good set of incisors, canines, et al., is important for eating foods that aid digestion and weight loss. "Most of the foods that are really good for us--high-fiber foods especially--all require a lot of chewing," says Richard H. Price, D.M.D., a consumer advisor for the American Dental Association and clinical instructor at the Boston University School of Dentistry. "You're not likely to get as much nutrition from a liquid diet, which is what you'll end up with once your teeth are shot."

Need another scare? In one recent study, men with extensive gum disease had a four times greater risk for heart trouble and stroke than men with healthy teeth and gums. The same bacteria that cause periodontitis can cause an infection in the lining or valves of the heart. More commonly, periodontal bacteria can stimulate the formation of blood clots and other proteins that contribute to heart disease and stroke.

"That's because one of the bacteria in plaque causes clumping," Price says. "It causes clumping on your teeth and can do the same with blood, causing it to clog up the blood vessels in your heart."

VITAMIN C AND OTHER ORAL CARE

Mouth trouble can double with improper nutrition. Three out of four periodontists recommend that patients take vitamin C to help repair connective tissue in the gums, according to the American Academy of Periodontology. Calcium is also suggested, as it helps build up bone around the teeth. A study published in the Journal of Periodontology found that those who consumed less than the recommended daily allowance of vitamin C (60 milligrams) were half again as likely to develop gingivitis as those who tripled the RDA. A second investigation found that patients who received only half the 800-mg RDA of calcium were twice as likely to suffer from periodontal disease.

Still, the foremost way to prevent ailing teeth and clogged arteries is with thorough daily brushing and flossing.

"The amount of time you spend cleaning your teeth is as important as how often you do it," says Tammi Byrd, D.M.D., vice president of the American Dental Hygienists Association. "Time yourself the next time you brush. It should take you three minutes to brush your teeth. Most people spend 30 to 40 seconds."

You can get away with a single high-quality cleaning each day, along with "one or two other times where you don't spend as much time at it," says Byrd. "I do mine at night, just before bed, because bacteria tend to proliferate while we're sleeping."

Take a toothbrush to work for a quick after-lunch cleanup, or chew sugarless gum between meals; some brands contain the artificial sweetener xylitol, which inhibits bacteria growth. "Your body's best defense against cavities is saliva, and chewing gum is a great way to stimulate salivation," Byrd explains. At the very least, rinse your mouth out with water after meals.

More fanatical folks can paint their chops with plastic. "If you don't have cavities," Byrd says, "a sealant can be painted on the chewing surfaces of your teeth that will stop decay and protect against further damage to your teeth."

If you're not ready to have your mouth Scotchguarded, supermarket aisles are overcrowded with oral-care products. "I tell people to buy any toothpaste that's on sale," says Price, "as long as it contains fluoride [which remineralizes the enamel on your teeth]. Any floss that slips easily between your teeth is a good floss. There are some fancy new flosses, like Glide or Colgate's Precision. They're great, especially if they get you to floss more often."

Keep your teeth until you die: our guide to great gums will spare your teeth, help you diet, and even lower your risk of heart disease and stroke

Men's Fitness, May, 2002 by Robrt L. Pela

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