So. Many. Reasons.
There are so many good reasons not to have gross, festering teeth, besides not having gross, festering teeth.
If the link between gum disease and Alzheimer’s wasn’t enough motive to keep the pearlies in good nick, a large new study has strengthened the connection between flossing and stroke avoidance.
This is a great hint to drop to the people in your life, or patient list, who neglect this prosocial procedure.
Flossing regularly, even if only once a week, seems to have benefits regardless of brushing and other oral hygiene behaviours, according to the study, which is being presented in abstract form at the American Stroke Association’s International Stroke Conference this week (details are therefore scanty).
The authors’ stated aim was “to determine which oral hygiene behaviour – dental flossing, brushing or regular dentist visits – has the greatest impact on stroke prevention”.
The Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) study surveyed more than 6250 people, average age 62, about their oral hygiene habits, with a followup of 25 years.
In that time, 434 of the participants had strokes: 147 from larger artery brain clots, 97 from heart-driven clots and 95 from hardening of the smaller arteries. Nearly 1300 people had atrial fibrillation.
Flossing at least once a week was associated with a 22% lower risk of ischaemic stroke, a 44% lower risk of cardioembolic stroke and, in a surprise result, a 12% lower risk of AFib. More frequent flossing lowered the stroke risk further.
Clearing out the filth from between your teeth may help not only by reducing mouth infections and inflammation, the authors suppose, but by encouraging other healthy habits.
Flossing is cheap, they note, unlike dental work.
With a 2022 World Health Organization report finding that 3.5 billion people – close to half the human population – are affected by oral diseases, and one billion of those have severe periodontal disease, largely due to poor oral hygiene, this seems a timely message.
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