How Your Lungs Benefit From Regular Flossing

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Dental News
It has long been known that regularly flossing your teeth is one of the best ways to prevent gum disease, but now it appears that it also helps to prevent lung problems such as pneumonia and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

Emerging research is showing that bacteria from gum diseases such as gingivitis and periodontitis can easily slip into your airways when you inhale. Once this bacteria has entered the bloodstream, warm and moist conditions in your lungs act as a breeding ground for bacteria which leads to inflammation; inflammation can obstruct blood flow, which prevents oxygen from traveling to the brain and this can result in a heart attack or stroke.

Even though the most effective way to remove this type of bacteria from your mouth is to brush twice a day, daily flossing is also required due to the fact that brushing can not always reach all areas of your mouth, resulting in plaque development along the gum line.