Living Well This powerful preventive against all of those chronic diseases in old age takes just three minutes of your day...
But most of us lie about doing it.
Ask a dentist how many of their patients claim to floss daily and they'll tell you most of them. But the truth is that more than half of Americans don't floss regularly, and about 20% don't do it at all.
It might seem like a waste of time, but as we age, flossing becomes critically important. That's because our gums recede naturally over time, leaving us more vulnerable to gum disease (also known as periodontal disease, or periodontitis).
A 2011 study estimated that seniors who never flossed had a 30% higher mortality rate during the study period than the daily flossers.
As it turns out, perpetually puffy and painful gums can put you at higher risk of heart disease, certain cancers, diabetes, and dementia, to name a few.
Over the decades, we've learned that poor oral health is linked to poor overall health, with chronic inflammation being the primary driver. And you can add debilitating, chronic joint pain to the list of possible health problems from a poorly maintained mouth...
In a mouse study published last month in the International Journal of Oral Science, scientists looked into a potential mechanism for a bacterial infection that led to more swelling in the limbs, damage to the lining of the joints, and increased levels of inflammatory molecules in the limbs.
These all happen to be symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis.
Rheumatoid arthritis is where your immune system mistakes the protective barrier around your joint (called the synovium) as a foreign body and sends immune-system cells to attack it. That results in swelling, redness, pain... even the breakdown of bone cells. Rheumatoid arthritis can start anytime between the ages of 30 and 60. About 1.5 million Americans suffer from this painful condition.
And, as it turns out, this bacteria – called A. actinomycetemcomitans – happens to be one of the culprits behind periodontal disease.
By evading painful gum disease, you could end up evading some other pretty painful conditions, too. Here are some of the reasons why you'd want to keep your piehole pristine...
A December 2022 review of 293 meta-analysis studies on oral versus systemic health tallied up nearly 30 serious signs of inflammation and chronic diseases that were strongly associated with oral disease. That lineup included many conditions commonly afflicting older folks.
Many scientists believe that inflammation could be the common thread running through all of these illnesses. And I've been saying this for many years myself.
For example, constantly inflamed and irritated gums can lead to damaged tissue that bacteria slip through to enter your blood vessels.
Your body tries to fight the foreign invader by launching an immune response, resulting in even more inflammation. And the longer that continues, the higher your risk of developing these health problems...
Cardiovascular disease: Research has shown that folks suffering from gum disease have triple the risk of heart attack and stroke. They're 20% more likely to also have hypertension, too. And a 2022 meta-analysis found that treating periodontitis ended up reducing levels of fasting blood sugar and C-reactive protein, a sign of systemic inflammation.
Another study published last June examined the brushing habits of 1,675 adults who visited the hospital in a three-year period to see what it meant for cardiovascular problems. Researchers discovered that the folks who only brushed their teeth in the morning were twice as likely to suffer from and die of cardiovascular disease during the study period than those who brushed twice a day.
Alzheimer's disease and dementia: A study published last August in the Journal of Clinical Periodontology linked periodontitis to poor cognitive performance and higher baseline levels of markers for Alzheimer's disease. Another study with mice found that oral bacteria that travel to our brains can make microglial cells there go haywire. (These helpful cells gobble up the amyloid plaque that clumps up in the brains of Alzheimer's patients.)
Also, a 2019 study found the same bacteria that causes gingivitis in the brains of 53 deceased Alzheimer's patients. These bacteria release enzymes called gingipains, which animal studies have shown to cause memory problems and inflammation in the brain.
Diabetes: Several studies have associated diabetes with a higher chance of developing periodontitis. But wait, there's more bad news... Severe gum disease and its inflammation can make cells insulin resistant.
That, of course, leads to constantly high blood-sugar levels. That extra glucose in the blood makes them dysfunctional. And that means problems fighting infections... like the one raging in your gums. You can see where this is going – diabetes and gum disease are, as scientists have called it, a "two-way street."
For example, one study published last year in Cureus reported that Type 2 diabetics who received nonsurgical treatment for their periodontitis showed decreased blood levels of inflammatory markers, as well as improved blood-sugar control.
We could go on... Research has also linked poor oral hygiene with depression, inflammatory bowel disease, nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, and lung disease.
So why don't people floss?
Some say they don't have time, or it's hard for them to do it. But flossing takes just a few minutes, and its health benefits make it worth it. Some older folks with arthritis or dexterity issues from a stroke could have trouble maneuvering the thin piece of floss. But lots of products out there, like the Y-shaped floss picks, can make the process much easier.
But the most common reason dentists hear from patients who don't floss is "my gums bleed and it hurts when I do it." Healthy gums don't bleed from flossing, so if yours do, you should be flossing more, not less. The more you do it, the easier it will get.
So stop making excuses and start flossing...
Pull the floss around the tooth in a "C" shape. With the floss wrapping one side of the tooth, gently slide the floss straight up and down a couple of times without a seesawing motion to dislodge plaque under the gumline. (Remember, it's not a log-sawing competition.)
The process should take about three minutes, on average, for someone with all 28 teeth.
If you have trouble flossing, do it under bright lighting and in front of a mirror. It helps to wind the floss around the index fingertip of each hand.
Make sure you floss regularly... Shoot for every day and after meals.
Your mouth and body will thank you.
What We're Reading...
- Something different: A Chinese woman led the largest and most successful pirate fleet in history.
Here's to our health, wealth, and a great retirement,
Dr. David Eifrig and the Health & Wealth Bulletin Research Team
September 10, 2024