Twice a day, Kitchener Centre MP Karen Redman flosses her teeth to protect not only her gums, but also her heart.

Becoming a more faithful flosser was the Liberal party whip's New Year's resolution for 2007, even though she doesn't have gum disease or risk factors for heart disease. She stepped up her routine from every day or so to twice daily after learning of an association between plaque in the mouth and the plaque involved in coronary artery disease.

"I was watching a news show on television about the fact that flossing had a connection with heart health and the plaque on your teeth," says Redman in an interview this week.

"I had always viewed flossing as something you did for the health of your gums. So for me, it was a real revelation to realize there were other implications that may, in the long run, have a greater impact."

People with serious gum disease have higher levels of certain types of bacteria in their mouths. Researchers suspect the bacteria may travel through the bloodstream to the coronary arteries, causing inflammation which eventually leads to plaque buildup and narrowing of the arteries.

Another theory is that high bacterial levels in the mouth may lead to a chronic increase in the immune system response, which helps fights infection, but also involves inflammation.

Chronic inflammation plays an important role in the formation of plaque in the arteries, as well as in thrombosis, which is the formation of a clot around the plaque in a vessel. Clots can block a vessel or become dislodged and travel to a different vessel, which can lead to a narrowing or blockage....

Full Article: http://news.therecord.com/Life/article/293518