October 11th, 2008 by Jason
I’m not at all opposed to playing jokes, but I’m actually serious here! Flossing your teeth – all of them – on a daily basis can actually help prevent heart disease. I know what you’re thinking, but I’m not making this up folks. Dental floss is wicked stuff; MacGyver could do all sorts of crazy things with it. Many of you may have already heard these reports, but for those of you that haven’t, just sit back and enjoy the ride.
Numerous studies have come to the same conclusion over the last few years: there is growing evidence that periodontal disease actually does contribute to heart disease. Apparently the nasty little bugs that cause your gums to bleed, swell and otherwise deteriorate also like to inflame your arteries (atherosclerosis). It all goes downhill from there of course.
The good news is that now you can tell your kids with a straight face to floss or they could be in big trouble. No more making stuff up with “if/then” statements. But of course the best thing to do is lead by example, so pick your favorite dental floss and get to work! Incidentally, if you can’t floss for whatever reason, they say to at least use disinfecting mouthwash, but only as a second option.
So if flossing prevents heart disease, then what kind of weird habits prevent cancer? That’s what I want to know! Maybe it’s cracking your knuckles. If so, I’m all set because that’s one habit I’ve downright mastered. Of course, I’ll be writhing in pain from arthritis instead, but hey, you can’t have everything…
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