Flossing your teeth can help reduce the risk of heart disease. Dr Kunal Sood, an anesthesiology and interventional pain medicine physician, shared an Instagram post on June 19 in which he shared that research suggests that regular flossing can lower the risk of stroke and heart disease by reducing inflammation and preventing bacterial buildup in the mouth. Also read | Should you floss before or after brushing? Dentist shares what your ideal oral care routine should be
How flossing helps
In his caption, Dr Sood wrote, “Can flossing reduce risk of heart disease? Share to help someone cut both gum and heart risk.” Saying how ‘gums set off body-wide alarms’, he said: “Plaque trapped between teeth sparks gingivitis, letting Porphyromonas gingivalis and other microbes slip into the bloodstream. Those invaders crank up C-reactive protein (CRP) and IL-6 —the same inflammatory messengers that thicken arterial plaque and boost clotting risk.”
Dr Sood added that ‘flossing disrupts the oral-heart highway’. “Adding floss to twice-daily brushing removes up to 80 percent of interdental plaque — far more than brushing alone. In a seven-year study of 40,000+ adults, flossing at least once a week was linked to: 22 percent lower ischemic-stroke risk, 44 percent lower cardio-embolic-stroke risk, and 12 percent lower atrial-fibrillation risk.”
Tips for effective flossing
Explaining why frequency — and timing — matter, Dr Sood said, “Every floss session breaks up biofilm before it inflames gum vessels. Even weekly flossing trims systemic inflammation, but daily use keeps the bacterial ‘drip’ shut off almost completely.”
He also shared:
1. Floss daily (string, picks, or water-flosser); if that’s tough, aim for several times per week — consistency beats perfection.
2. Brush twice daily and book professional cleanings every six months; scaling alone can drop CRP within weeks.
3. Spot warning signs — bleeding gums, chronic bad breath, looseness — then schedule a periodontal check-up.
4. Reinforce the win with cardio basics: quit smoking, manage blood sugar, move daily. The same habits that protect gums fortify arteries.
Note to readers: This article is for informational purposes only and not a substitute for professional medical advice. Always seek the advice of your doctor with any questions about a medical condition.
