Heart disease is the No. 1 killer of American women, according to the American Heart organization and their Go red for women brochure. Stroke (brain attack) killed more than 100 000 thousand American women in 2002, and the number is rising every year, according to the National Stroke association. Both of these are mainly caused by clogged artheries and clots in our blood vessels.

Apart from eating healthy food, exercising and keeping your stress as low as possible, there's one more thing you can do to minimize your chance of getting a stroke or a heartattack: brush your teeth.

You see, the scientists have discovered that bad mouth hygiene and gum disease can lead to heart attack and stroke among other illnesses:

Earlier this year, for example, researchers from the University of Minnesota and Columbia University reported that older adults who have higher proportions of four periodontal-disease-causing bacteria in their mouths also tend to have thicker carotid arteries-a strong predictor of stroke and heart attack.

reports Larry Wolff for the UMN news. Later on in his article he states that brushing and flossing your teeth regularly can help you greatly in your fight for healthy mouth, gums and teeth.

So, get yourself a good toothbrush and periodontal fighting toothpaste and make an oath to brush at least twice a day! It would be ideal to brush teeth after every meal, but if you just can't brush at work, brush your teeth at least in the morning and before going to sleep.