Brushing your teeth may soon be good for your heart as well – Read

(Representational image)

 New Delhi: Soon, brushing your teeth will not just help you curb cavities and maintain oral hygiene, but also ensure good heart health.

Scientists are in the process of developing a smart toothbrush that can keep an eye on the vital signs and detect heart problems from your saliva.

The device would be a simple way to incorporate heart check-ups into daily routines and could prompt heart patients to adjust their medications as required.

According to the scientists at the Hospital Ramon y Cajal in Spain, sodium levels in saliva could give an early warning of problems.

"With a little information about their heart rate, pressure and some biological samples from saliva, it is possible to execute some minor corrections that should help the patient to be as healthy as possible," said Alvaro Marco, a cardiologist at Hospital Ramon y Cajal.

The toothbrush could help patients do this themselves rather than wait for medical reviews.

"If we see that our patients are at a high heart rate or pressure, we adjust the therapy according to it," Marco was quoted as saying by 'The Times'.

"I am co-operating with a top-notch tech company which is trying to keep this new device as secret as possible while the engineering and designing phases are completed," he said.  

(With PTI inputs)