Want to know another reason -- beyond those you can already think of -- why you should keep doing all those pull-ups, running all those miles, hiking all those trails, swimming all those laps, and playing all those sports? See how this one suits you: staying out of the dentist's chair.

The Journal of Periodontology reports that regular exercise can greatly reduce a person's risk of gum disease. In tests, men who put in a solid 45-minute workout three times a week were 40 percent less likely to develop gum problems than men who avoided workouts like ... well, like most people avoid the dentist.

Maintaining healthy gums is important for overall health. Numerous studies have linked periodontal disease to more serious health issues, such as an increased risk of heart disease and stroke.

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Maybe you know you have it and want to fix it. Maybe you don't know you have it, and your friends are trying to figure out a tactful way to tell you. Either way, bad breath -- or its more scientific name halitosis -- isn't a friend to anyone.

Bad breath can be blamed on the food you eat, but it's also sometimes an indicator of an underlying problem. The Times Online recently reviewed popular bad breath solutions. Some of them are tried and true, and some are based on little more than word of mouth:

Tried, but not yet proven to be helpful:

• chewing on parsley
• chewing special gum
• eating yogurt
• chewing fennel seeds
• chewing magnolia gum

Some research indicates it might help:

• rinsing with antibacterial mouthwash
• brushing with baking soda
• popping peppermint oil
• scraping your tongue

Proven health habits to keep bad breath at bay:

• staying hydrated
• munching on fruit
• brushing frequently
• quitting smoking
• eating breakfast
• flossing daily
• seeing dental and medical professionals to rule out underlying problems

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Are you good are brushing your teeth well two times per day? Not so fast, according to Dr. Paul Warren, who thinks that most people are "no good" at brushing their teeth.

Dr. Warren, who works for Procter & Gamble (naturally), stated that "Odd as it sounds, most people are no good at brushing their teeth." Dr. Warren mentions the American Dental Association's suggestion that adults and kids brush each tooth to the gum line for two minutes each time they brush.

Problem is, most adults -- according to Warren -- don't do this at all. Instead, we brush haphazardly, concentrating on the front-and-center teeth and making short work of our molars.

Another failing: many of us brushers scour gum lines "like if plaque were bathtub grout." What to do, you may ask? The tooth brush, which can't really be refined any further, may be doing just that -- inventing new designs to overcome out impatience and incompetence in brushing. I can see the name now -- couch potato brushing.

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As Rigel posted on earlier, there are some health conditions that, when allowed to deteriorate, can affect other systems in the body. In that vein, a new study concluded that chronic gum infection and cardiovascular problems can be interrelated. We've heard this before, but this new study strengthens that tie even tighter.

New research shows that treatment of severe periodontal disease was associated with improved blood flow and more elasticity of arteries -- and that leads to a healthier heart. When a chronic bacterial infection affects the gums and bones supporting the teeth, the endothelium (inner lining of blood vessels) can be negatively impacted.

Result? Nagging problems in the gum area can impact -- over the long term -- the very system that keeps blood flowing into and out of the heart. There will always be systems inside the human body that can affect one another -- and keeping as many as possible in good shape most likely will result in overall good health.

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In a study of 120 people suffering from severe cases of gum disease (periodontitis), those who received more aggressive treatment showed healthier cardiovascular systems in the long run.

The participants were split into two groups, one receiving standard gum disease treatment (having teeth scraped and polished) while the other received more aggressive therapy (anesthesia with below the gum-line plaque removal, and possible teeth extractions). Although at first it appeared the standard-treatment group was doing better, in the long run (2+ months) the aggressive-therapy group had much improved blood vessel health.

It's like that song "the hip bone's connected to the leg bone," but it's your heart and teeth instead.

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Have you ever had bleeding gums before? Many of us know that bleeding gums are a sign of dental or periodontal disease -- and that should not be taken lightly just like any other tell-tale signs of ailments or disease anywhere on the body.

Although bleeding gums are often caused by a buildup of plaque along the gumline, the lack of proper dental care may cause plaque may harden to form tartar -- and that is difficult to remove without a dentist picking in your mouth with a sharp, pointed metal rod. That does not bring up pleasant thoughts at all. For me, anyway.

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