Keeping up with dentists appointments may prevent a heart attack or stroke, according to a seven-year study of more than 100,000 people by Taiwanese researchers.

The study, which was presented at the American Heart Association's (AHA) annual conference in November, found that people who get their teeth professionally cleaned at least once a year had a lower risk of stroke and heart attack.

Those who went to the dentist regularly were 13 percent less likely to have a stroke and 24 percent less likely to have a heart attack than people who had never had their teeth professionally cleaned, the study found.

However, the study did not include other cardiovascular risk factors such as obesity, smoking, lack of exercise, and high blood pressure, cholesterol or blood sugar, ABC News reports.

Mayo Clinic professor and AHA spokesman Dr. Thomas Gerber told the news outlet that while the study shows an interesting association between dental hygiene and heart health, the "traditional" risk factors should still controlled most rigorously.

"People shouldn't think that by going to the dentist more often they're going to reduce their risk of heart disease," he told the news source.