People who brush their teeth three times a day are less likely to develop atrial fibrillation or heart failure than those with less consistent oral hygiene habits, a Korean study suggests.

Axar.az reports citing Reuters that researchers examined data on 161,286 people with national health coverage and no history of atrial fibrillation, heart failure or other cardiovascular diseases.

After following at least half for about 10.5 years, a total of 4,911 people, or 3% of the study population, developed atrial fibrillation and 7,971 people, or 4.9%, developed heart failure.

Individuals who brushed their teeth three times a day were 10% less likely to develop atrial fibrillation and 12% less likely to develop heart failure compared to those who brushed less frequently, the study found.

Getting regular professional dental cleanings was also tied to a 7% lower risk of heart failure while having 22 or more missing teeth was linked to a 32% higher heart failure risk.