dear asking for a friend,
i know flossing is part of good dental hygiene, but it makes my gums bleed, and frankly, i don’t like doing it. how necessary is it?
signed, sore gums
dear sore gums,
on the list of important things to do for your health — exercise, spend time in nature, cut out sugar, eat more veggies — it may feel like flossing your teeth is near the bottom. and if you end up with bleeding gums, that can make it even harder to make flossing a part of your daily hygiene routine.
but if you listen to your dentist, the
scientific evidence that links poor oral health, like tooth loss or gum recession, with higher rates of cardiovascular problems
is pretty powerful proof that cleaning in between your teeth is important.
in fact, studies
reviewed by lithuanian researchers in 2019
have also shown that gum disease, which is gingivitis in its early form and periodontitis when it really takes hold, is associated with rheumatoid arthritis, where your immune system mistakenly attacks your own body’s tissues. and a
2018 study published in the journal gut
demonstrated a link between this same bacterium, porphyromonas gingivalis, and pancreatic cancer.
7 out of 10 canadians develop gum disease
poor oral hygiene that allows plaque to form on your teeth, causing inflammation of the surrounding gum tissues. it can be relatively painless until pockets of infection form and start to destroy the gum tissue, putting you at risk of losing teeth. it’s a common problem, with
seven out of every 10 canadians developing gum disease at some point in their lives
.