Oral hygiene is important. Brushing at least twice a day, flossing at least once a day, and visiting the office for your cleanings every six months go a long way toward keeping your teeth and gums in tip top shape. Besides keeping those chompers in check, good oral health is a good defense against various diseases.

Poor Oral Health Can Lead to These Diseases

Healthy Gums Equal Healthy Lungs: The air we breathe is moisturized with water droplets in our mouths. Bacteria in your mouth can attach to those droplets and end up in your lungs, causing pneumonia. Those who skip their yearly cleanings are 86 percent more likely to contract pneumonia than those who make it to the office every six months.

Want a Healthy Heart? Keep Your Teeth Clean: According to the National Institute of Health, keeping your mouth clean and healthy can reduce risk of heart attack. In a study focused on 128 adults, patients underwent a comprehensive health screening before they filled out a questionnaire about their dental health habits. Upon analysis of the data, scientists were able to find a significant link between good oral hygiene habits and cardiovascular risk factors.

Poor Oral Health May be Linked to Alzheimer’s Disease: According to WebMD, the same bacteria that exacerbates gingivitis may be linked to Alzheimer’s disease. In a 2013 study, scientists analyzed 10 brains of patients with Alzheimer’s, and 10 brains of patients without Alzheimer’s. In 4 out of 10 Alzheimer’s patients, scientists found the same type of bacteria that causes gingivitis.  “We are working on the theory that when the brain is repeatedly exposed to bacteria and/or debris from our gums, subsequent immune responses may lead to nerve cell death and possibly memory loss,” says Sim Singhrao, PhD.

If you’re keeping up with your regular dental hygiene, you are taking steps to improve your overall health. If it’s been a while since you’ve had a dental cleaning, don’t hesitate to make an appointment at Alrez Family Dentistry.

AP recently created a hubbub by claiming that the effectiveness of daily flossing hasn’t been solidified by research.

It all started with a document the USDA releases every five years that is filled with research-backed health advice, the Dietary Guidelines for Americans. AP noticed that in 2015’s dietary guidelines, flossing had been quietly removed. AP reached out to the US government, which admitted that the effectiveness of flossing was not adequately researched.

But not so fast!

The American Dental Association (ADA), and Dr. Alrez, maintain that cleaning between teeth is important. Using floss is a sure-fire way to disrupt and remove plaque. Forty percent of your teeth’s surface is located in between the teeth, so flossing is a necessary step for removing bacteria. In order to keep your teeth and gums healthy, you need to clean 100, not just 60 percent of them!

While dental experts have acknowledged that the research that supports flossing is inadequate and outdated, they add that the research oversight is due to flossing being so obviously necessary, an updated study on its effectiveness would be a waste of resources.

As put by ADA spokesperson, Dr. Matthew Messina, “Nobody’s done a study to say using a parachute jumping out of an airplane is safer than not using a parachute. I’m still going to use a parachute, because we just know that that’s going to work.”

Flossing prevents cavities, gum disease, and bad breath. So keep flossing every day, and your teeth will thank you!