There’s no shortage of hacks, snacks, and habits that purportedly help you stay healthier for longer. But while we’re busy chasing cutting-edge upgrades—from cold plunges and greens powders to living by the gospel of your Oura ring—we tend to miss out on less sexy yet still powerful tweaks that have been shown to meaningfully move the needle on long-term health.
One such staple is the humble roll of floss, which is probably collecting dust in your medicine cabinet. However, you should probably break it out nightly not just for a brighter, cleaner smile, but to potentially benefit your heart and brain, too.
Keep reading to see why skipping that single strand of string could have consequences that go far beyond tender gums.
Why flossing is non-negotiable
If you believe that brushing twice daily will suffice for oral health, you’re in for some sobering news. According to Kami Hoss, DDS, author of If Your Mouth Could Talk: An In-Depth Guide to Oral Health and Its Impact on Your Entire Life, your toothbrush cleans only 60 percent of the surface of your teeth. Read: If you don’t floss, nearly half of your mouth goes uncleaned day after day.
“Flossing is a simple but critical intervention because it disrupts bacterial biofilm between the teeth—areas a toothbrush cannot reach,” adds board-certified periodontist Richard Nejat, DDS. When you floss consistently, you reduce bacterial load, plaque buildup, and gum inflammation—all of which can help keep periodontal disease (a.k.a. gum disease) at bay. And there’s a decent chance you’ll be affected: Per the Cleveland Clinic, about half of adults in the U.S. have some form of gum disease.
The tissue surrounding these small crevices also warrants your full attention. “The sulcus—the shallow groove where your gum meets your tooth—is lined with some of the most permeable tissue in the human body,” Dr. Hoss tells SELF. “It’s richly vascularized, meaning bacteria and whatever compounds we introduce there have a remarkably direct pathway into the bloodstream.” And here’s where the longevity benefits of flossing come into play.
The link between flossing and disease prevention
On top of staving off periodontal disease, research shows that regular flossing is associated with reduced risk of dementia, Alzheimer’s disease, and stroke. It can also be an important part of managing diabetes. Meanwhile, poor flossing habits have been associated with a higher risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) and CVD mortality. And according to one study of over 5,000 older adults, never flossing increased mortality risk by 30% compared to flossing daily.