Fact. Flossing your teeth every day can help you live longer.
How? Because flossing does two things: Prevents gums disease and heart disease. Preventing both of these together will add years to your life!
(RELATED: Floss Before or After You Eat?)
Floss Will Help Ward Off Disease
Flossing stops your gums from becoming inflamed. This is a good thing, because if your gums become inflamed, it means a bacterial infection is happening inside your mouth. This can harm your arteries through two mechanisms: the bacteria find their way in to your arteries and hang out (causing plaques), and your body mounts an immune response to the bacteria in your mouth, causing inflammation (which in turn can cause your arteries to narrow). This makes it hard for your heart to do its job and can lead to heart disease.
(RELATED: Do You Lie About Flossing Your Teeth? So Does Everyone Else)
Best Way to Establish a Flossing Habit
How do you get in to a solid flossing habit? First, you need to make sure you have some floss. There are tons of different kinds of floss (flavored, unflavored, strings, tapes and on and on). Pick some and give them a try.
Next, you have to REMEMBER to floss. Try putting your floss on top of your toothpaste. Then just do it. You already have a habit of brushing your teeth at least twice daily , so just anchor your flossing habit to that. It’s really quite easy… and think of the health benefits!
(RELATED: Why Do I Have Bleeding Gums After Brushing or Flossing?)
Do your body a favor and make flossing a part of your daily oral hygiene routine. And if you need help getting to those hard-to-reach areas in your mouth, we can give you some great pointers at your next dental cleaning visit.