Best Life: Improving heart health with a tube of toothpaste

SEATTLE, Wash. (Ivanhoe Newswire)— Nearly 50 percent of adults age 30 and over have some form of gum disease.

For people over 65, that number jumps to over 70 percent.

Several studies have shown dental problems now can lead to heart problems later.

But a first-of-its-kind toothpaste is helping patients to reduce their heart attack and stroke risk.

Brushing, flossing, rinsing, and repeat.

You do everything you can to take care of those pearly whites, but, “I’d go to the dentist and there would be lots of complaints about plaque buildup,” recalled patient Denelle Marlowe.

Studies show there is a correlation between plaque buildup and bacteria in our mouth to cardiovascular disease and stroke.

But now this toothpaste is looking to help people prevent heart disease.

“PlaqueHD is a toothpaste to replace your common toothpaste,” described Lawrence Hier, DDS, MS, orthodontist and Inventor of PlaqueHD.

It works by highlighting in green the plaque on your teeth that you miss during brushing.

In clinical trials, PlaqueHD removed two to four times the amount of plaque on tooth surfaces than conventional toothpaste.

By removing the plaque, “What it also does is it reduces a very specific protein in the blood called CRP, “Dr.Hier explained.

CRP stands for c-reactive protein.

It is a sensitive indicator of future risk for heart disease and stroke.

Two clinical trials were performed with PlaqueHD.

“The reductions in both trials were similar. They ranged between 30 to 50 percent reductions in the c-reactive protein levels,” explained Charles Hennekens, MD, Dr.PH, of Florida Atlantic University Schmidt College of Medicine.

“We have a lot of heart disease in my family, so that’s always been in the forefront of my mind,” shared Marlowe.

And now when she goes to the dentist, her reviews are better.

“I actually had really great reviews!” Marlowe expressed.

Cleaner teeth, a healthier heart, and peace of mind.

The trials were conducted by Florida Atlantic University Schmidt College of Medicine in collaboration with the University of Wisconsin College of Medicine.

The team is looking to conduct another trial to see if PlaqueHD decreases the progression of atherosclerosis by using CT scans of the coronary arteries to measure.

Contributors to this news report include: Cyndy McGrath, Executive Producer; Milvionne Chery, Field Producer; Rusty Reed, Videographer; Roque Correa, Editor.

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