Why You Really Need to Floss

ANDEvery time you brush and floss, you’re doing more than freshening your breath and preserving your smile. Research suggests that you may also be improving your overall health – and perhaps even extending your lifespan.

People often view dentistry primarily as a cosmetic specialty, says Anita Aminoshariae, professor of endodontics at Case Western Reserve University School of Dental Medicine. But “the mouth is not disconnected from the rest of the body,” she says. Quite the opposite: Studies suggest that oral health is linked to everything from heart health to longevity, even though many people don’t realize it.

Oral health goes beyond the mouth

Researchers call this phenomenon “oral-systemic linkage” and it has been appearing in studies for years. Some of the first discoveries on this topic were about links between oral health and diabetes, and it is now well established that diabetic patients’ blood sugar levels can improve when they are treated for gum disease – and that their Gum disease can get worse if diabetes gets worse.

Oral health also appears to be related to other measures of cardiometabolic health, including patient health. likely to develop or die from heart disease. In a review of recent research, Aminoshariae and his co-authors found that people with very poor oral health – those with 10 or fewer natural teeth remaining in their mouths – were about 66% more likely to die from cardiovascular disease than people with more robust smiles. AND another recent studyco-authored by Yau-Hua Yu, associate professor of periodontics at Tufts University School of Dental Medicine, found that people who describe their oral health as fair or poor are at greater risk of dying and may also be more likely to have cardiovascular disease, osteoporosis and diabetes.

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Like most research on the oral-systemic link, these studies fail to prove cause and effect. It’s possible that the relationship actually works the other way around: that people with health problems are more likely to have dental health problems, Yu says. Other factors, such as socioeconomic status and access to nutritious foods, may also play a role, she says.

But Aminoshariae believes that oral health directly influences overall well-being. She thinks of her teeth as sand dunes. Just as dunes protect inland areas from the sea, Aminoshariae believe that teeth protect the body from foreign substances that can cause disease. “Once they leave,” she says, “it’s like a free for all.”

The microbiome, the name given to the legions of bacteria, viruses and other microbes that roam the human body, is another possible explanation, says Yu. When you don’t brush your teeth properly, allowing food and other debris to get on and between your teeth, the bacterial communities in your mouth can changepotentially contributing to gingivitis and gum disease over time, she explains.

When gum health is compromised, the consequences can be far-reaching. The blood vessels in the gums are “leaky,” explains Yvonne Kapila, professor and associate dean for research at the University of California, Los Angeles School of Dentistry. When someone’s gums are inflamed or diseased, “that leakage allows bacteria and viruses and all these other things that are in the outside world to get into their body” and potentially spread through it through the bloodstream, she explains.

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In some cases, bits of bacteria or other microbes can travel from the gums into the bloodstream and cause disease or inflammation in other organs, says Kapila. Bacterial matter from the mouth was found in cancerous tumors, diseased heart valves It is liversIt is brain tissue from people who died from Alzheimer’s disease, to name a few notable examples. And, says Kapila, animal studies conducted by your team and others suggest that tweaking the mouth’s microbiome, such as treating gum disease, may help reverse some of these problems, signaling a true cause-and-effect relationship between oral health and overall health.

How to take care of your oral health

The good news is that most people already know what they should do to keep their mouth healthy: eat a nutritious diet, brush your teeth every morning and night, and floss regularly. Yu to look for suggests that inadequate flossing is associated with a greater risk of death, while other studies show that good flossing practices reduce the chances of developing gum disease. Brushing for at least two minutes, twice a day, also reduces the chances of developing cardiovascular diseases, according to other research.

“Just like you shower every day, you have to brush your teeth every day and clean the gaps [in between] every day,” says Yu. “This is basic stuff.”

Finally, keep up with your biannual dental appointments so that a professional can assess the health of your teeth and gums and intervene, if necessary, before the situation worsens. “Prevention, prevention, prevention is very critical,” says Kapila.