There’s no shortage of tricks, snacks, and habits that claim to help you stay healthier for longer. But while we’re busy chasing cutting-edge developments—from cold showers and green powder to living the gospel of your Oura Ring—we tend to miss out on the less-sexy, yet powerful tweaks that have been shown to significantly move the needle on long-term health.
One such staple is the humble roll of dental floss, which is probably gathering dust in your medicine cabinet. However, you probably need to break it in the evening not only for a brighter, clearer smile, but also for the benefit of the heart and brain.
Read on to learn why missing out on this one fiber can have consequences far beyond sensitive gums.
Why dental floss is not negotiable
If you think that brushing your teeth twice a day is enough for your oral health, you can expect some sobering news. According to We are Hoss, DDSits author If Your Mouth Could Talk: An In-Depth Guide to Oral Health and Its Impact on Your Whole Lifeyour toothbrush only cleans 60 percent of the surface of the teeth. Read: If you don’t floss, almost half of your mouth is left uncleaned every day.
“The use of dental floss is a simple but critical intervention because it disrupts the biofilm of bacteria between the teeth – the areas that a toothbrush cannot reach,” adds the certified periodontist. Richard Nejat, DDS. Consistent flossing reduces bacterial load, plaque build-up, and gingivitis—all of which can help keep periodontal disease (also known as gum disease) at bay. And there’s a good chance you’ll be affected, too: According to the Cleveland Clinic, about half of U.S. adults have some form of gum disease.
The tissue surrounding these small gaps also deserves full attention. “The sulcus—the shallow groove where the gum meets the tooth—is lined with the most permeable tissue in the human body,” Dr. Hoss tells SELF. “It’s highly vascularized, which means that the bacteria and any compounds that we introduce have an extremely direct way of entering the bloodstream.” And that’s where the longevity benefits of flossing come into play.
The relationship between flossing and disease prevention
Research shows that in addition to avoiding periodontal disease, regular flossing reduces the risk of periodontal disease dementia, Alzheimer’s diseaseand stroke. This can also be an important part treatment of diabetes. Meanwhile, bad flossing habits are associated with a higher risk cardiovascular disease (CVD) and CVD mortality. And accordingly a study In more than 5,000 older adults, never flossing increased the risk of death by 30% compared to daily flossing.
