Feb. 17, 2025—White teeth, fresh breath, a confident smile—these are some of the perks of taking care of your dental health. But here's more motivation to maintain those pearly whites. The American Heart Association recently reported preliminary results of a study that links flossing your teeth to a reduced risk for certain strokes and atrial fibrillation (AFib).
What the research says
Researchers asked 6,278 participants about dental flossing and brushing habits, dental checkups, blood pressure, tobacco use, weight, cholesterol levels, and diabetes.
After analyzing 25 years of reported data, the researchers found that, when compared to people who didn't floss, participants who reported flossing at least once a week had:
- A 44% lower risk of cardioembolic stroke (a type of stroke caused by a blood clot traveling from the heart to the brain).
- A 22% lower risk of ischemic stroke (a stroke caused by a blockage in a blood vessel to the brain).
- A 12% lower risk of AFib, an irregular heartbeat pattern that can cause stroke.
The study also revealed that flossing more frequently led to more reduction in stroke and AFib risks.
Why flossing matters
Flossing reaches places your toothbrush can't. It helps prevent plaque, a film made of food particles and bacteria, from hardening into tartar. Plaque and tartar cause cavities and gum disease. Oral infection and disease can create inflammation, which is linked to a higher stroke risk.
Fault-free flossing
The American Dental Association (ADA) recommends flossing once per day. The time of day isn't as important as making it a regular habit.
To make your flossing effective, follow these steps from the ADA:
- Use about 18 inches of dental floss. Wrap most of it around the middle finger of one hand. As you floss, the middle finger on your other hand will gather the used floss.
- Hold the floss tightly between your index fingers and thumbs as you guide it between your teeth and rub it up and down gently along the sides of each tooth.
- Before moving on to the next tooth, gently move the floss into the small space between the tooth and the gum line.
- Continue until you have flossed both sides of every tooth.
- Follow the same pattern each time you floss. For example, start on your lower jaw and move from left to right, then move to your upper jaw and floss from left to right.
If your teeth are very tight, using a floss threader might help. And water flossing can be a good option for people with braces or other dental work that makes flossing a challenge.
Need more troubleshooting tips? Talk to your dentist or dental hygienist about flossing when you go in for your regular dental checkup. And, now that you're an expert on dental flossing, why not refresh your toothbrushing skills as well?
Sources
- American Dental Association. "Flossing." https://www.mouthhealthy.org/all-topics-a-z/flossing.
- American Heart Association. "Flossing May Reduce Risk for Stroke and Irregular Heart Rhythm." https://www.heart.org/en/news/2025/01/30/flossing-may-reduce-risk-for-stroke-and-irregular-heart-rhythm.
- American Heart Association. "Regular Dental Flossing May Lower Risk of Stroke From Blood Clots, Irregular Heartbeats." https://newsroom.heart.org/news/regular-dental-flossing-may-lower-risk-of-stroke-from-blood-clots-irregular-heartbeats.
- National Institutes of Health. "Ask the Expert: Do I Really Need to Floss?" https://www.nidcr.nih.gov/health-info/gum-disease/ask-the-expert.