“It looks like you’ve been flossing too much.” – no dentist ever.
Let’s talk about flossing! I’m not talking about that {ahem, weird} dance your kids are doing. I’m referring to inter-dental cleaning. You’re dentist tells you every 6 months to floss more. And you get the little swag bag with a sample box and promise, yes this is it, I’m going to start flossing every day….and then you don’t. {Ugh, I struggle with this health habit, too!} But here’s the thing. It can impact your health…to the tune of adding years to your life. That’s right. I said years!! One study estimated an additional 6.4 years. {woah!} Health begins in the mouth, and obviously we know flossing helps prevent gum disease. What you may not know, is that many studies show flossing directly impacts heart health. How in the world does flossing my teeth affect my heart? you’re probably asking. Well, it all boils down to inflammation.
The common thread between oral and cardiovascular health is inflammation. In gum disease (gingivitus and periodontitis), the culprit is sticky bacteria (plaque) that grab onto the roots of your teeth and irritate your gums. In heart disease, the plaque builds up in arteries and starts to slow down blood flow. There have been lots of studies, but researchers still don’t know the exact reasoning behind why people with poor oral health seem to have higher risk of heart disease (or vice versa), but the correlation definitely exists.
Brushing twice a day is great, but brushing alone only covers 60% of your tooth’s surface. This is why flossing is so highly recommended. It helps clean the other 40%….not to mention it removes those pesky hulls from popcorn that hide get stuck in there.
At the end of the day, even if ‘they’ don’t know why flossing reduces your heart disease risk, they do know it helps you keep your teeth. Which as far as I’m concerned, is the ideal way to eat!! Grab some floss, find a time when it’s easy to sneak in (my hygienist does it in the shower), and just do it! Then do the floss…because dancing helps boost your health and longevity, too!!
Light and Love,
♥k