TALKING TEETH

But are we listening to what our teeth are telling us? Researchers in Britain found that people who brushed their teeth just once a day had a 30 percent increased risk of heart disease compared with those who brushed twice a day.

Diseased gums can contribute to systemic inflammation, which appears to damage the lining of the arteries. In fact, people in the study who brushed less often had higher levels of C-reactive protein, a marker for inflammation.