The Mouth Is Only the Beginning
As if bleeding gums, bad breath, and potential tooth loss weren’t enough to worry about, the plaque that forms because of a lack of flossing is connected to respiratory diseases and numerous cardiovascular conditions, such as heart disease and stroke. When plaque makes a home along your gumlines, it gets into your bloodstream and clogs up your arteries. It can also enter your lungs and take up residence in lung tissue, leading to possible respiratory infections. A healthful diet and plenty of exercise are often touted as the best ways to boost our immune systems and stave off diseases, but habitually poor dental hygiene can be just as destructive as frequent fast-food binges or couch-potato sessions.
Oral infections have also been known to exacerbate diabetes, as they can cause blood sugar to spike, requiring the diabetic person’s body to produce more insulin and potentially rendering insulin medication less effective. Diabetics should be just as diligent with flossing as they are with monitoring sugar intake, just as people who care about their health need to make flossing an everyday affair. Unfortunately, because the connection between the two ailments isn’t obvious, too many people fail to prioritize oral hygiene.
Small Sacrifice of Time = Big Health Reward
Flossing requires only five minutes of your time. One quick session at the end of the day, either before or after brushing, will prevent a great deal of oral issues—not to mention cardiovascular and respiratory ones. And regardless of what some commercials imply, mouthwash is not a substitute for flossing. Case in point: In 2005, dental floss manufacturer Johnson & Johnson took Listerine to court because Listerine’s ads claimed its mouthwash was as effective as floss is in preventing plaque buildup. Judge Denny Chin ruled that nothing could rival the hygienic benefits of flossing.
The best part about flossing? It’s never too late to jump on the bandwagon! Even if you’ve gotten to the point where brushing your teeth makes your gums bleed a little, starting to floss regularly can ease gingivitis, especially if you catch it in its beginning stages. Flossing may seem like an easy thing to skip, but when you consider all of the health issues that it prevents, it seems silly not to make it a habit. When a string of floss stands between you and something as life-threatening as heart disease, take a few minutes and give your teeth a thorough flossing. It might just be the best thing you do for yourself all day.
