Are you flossing every day? A staggering number of Americans neglect this important oral hygiene task. Perhaps if more patients understood the cause-and-effect relationship between flossing and health, it would keep them motivated. Flossing helps prevent bad breath, gum disease and tooth decay. But did you know that flossing may also protect you against oral cancer?

We know that oral cancer risk factors include alcohol consumption, tobacco use, HPV, sun exposure, genetics and a weakened immune system. However, current research also includes poor oral hygiene as a potential risk factor for mouth cancer. In fact, recent studies have discovered that people who floss at least once a day are invariably less likely to develop oral cancer. The study compared behaviors of individuals who developed oral cancer and those who did not. Researchers saw that people who did not develop cancer went to the dentist once a year and flossed at least once a day. (more…)