You likely know the advice to brush your teeth twice a day, but the same level of care should be given to flossing too. Dislodging food and sticky, bacteria-containing plaque that’s lodged between teeth plays a key role in your oral health — as well as your health in general. Brushing alone can’t reach those tight spots and only gets rid of 40 to 60 percent of harmful plaque.
Flossing once a day, ideally before bedtime before you brush, is recommended. If it feels like a cumbersome step to add to your routine, remember that flossing is considered a low-risk and low-cost way to contribute to better health — for your teeth, gums, heart, brain and more.
Here are the benefits.
1. Promotes Healthier Teeth
Plaque is a film of bacteria that forms on your teeth naturally. If you lack good oral hygiene habits — like flossing — it can build up, leading to cavities and discolored teeth. Hardened plaque is known as tartar, and it can’t be flossed away. It must be removed by a dentist or hygienist.
“Plaque removal is undoubtedly the main benefit of flossing for maintaining overall oral and general health,” says Danesh Bagga, BDS, lead dentist at Aspire Smiles in Warwick, United Kingdom.
Plaque also encourages bacteria to feed on sugars from your diet and releases acid, which can harm your teeth, says Carly Cassleman, DDS, owner of St. Clair Tooth Co. in St. Clair Shores, Michigan.
“These acids slowly dissolve enamel, creating weak spots that can turn into cavities,” she says.
2. Leads to Healthier Gums
Tartar can also contribute to gum disease if not treated. A review of studies, which investigated the effectiveness of several dental cleaning tools, such as flossing, wooden cleaning sticks, and water devices, found that brushing along with one of those options reduced plaque more than toothbrushing alone.
Toothpicks are an easy way to remove food debris between flossings, and water flossers, also known as original irrigators or a dental water jet, are another way to help keep your gums and mouth healthy.
“By targeting these hidden areas, flossing helps prevent plaque buildup, which is the main cause of gum inflammation, bleeding, and gum disease,” says Bagga.
3. Contributes to Fresher Breath
Food particles that are lodged in between your teeth encourage bacterial growth in your mouth, which can create an unpleasant and unwelcome odor.
“Certain bacteria thrive in the low-oxygen environments between teeth and beneath the gums,” Dr. Cassleman says. “These organisms break down proteins into amino acids and then release volatile sulfur compounds (like hydrogen sulfide and methyl mercaptan), which are the primary drivers of halitosis [or bad breath].”
Regular flossing, along with brushing and routine dental cleanings, can keep your breath from announcing your arrival from afar.
“By removing plaque and food debris, flossing disrupts these bacterial colonies and reduces bad breath at its microbial source — rather than just masking it,” Cassleman says.
4. Supports Immune Health
Flossing can also reduce inflammation, which is the immune system’s response to injury or illness, in the mouth as well as the rest of the body. Bagga says that the connection between flossing and immune health is still being researched, but the plaque buildup from not flossing can lead to inflammation in the gums. That harmful oral bacteria and its toxins can also enter the bloodstream, where it can trigger inflammation in other parts of the body.
Regular flossing can help reduce this inflammation and has been associated with lower levels of inflammatory markers such as C-reactive proteins.
“You’re trying to keep the oral microbiome as healthy as possible, so it does not impact or negatively affect the rest of your body,” says Lisa Creaven, DDS, chief executive officer and cofounder of the oral care company Made By Dentists, based in Galway, Ireland.
5. May Support Heart Health
Flossing and cardiovascular health are also related, as gum disease has been shown to increase the risk of heart disease. Poor dental health can cause infections that form arterial plaques, which are hardened arteries that can limit blood flow.
“Oral bacteria, particularly viridans group streptococci, has been found in blood clots from patients with ischemic stroke and heart attacks,” Cassleman says.
One recent study involving 6,300 people found that flossing just once a week may lower the risk of certain types of stroke as well as lower the risk of the heart rhythm disorder atrial fibrillation. Researchers aren’t certain why flossing has this effect, but they suspect it stems from flossing’s ability to lower inflammation in the body.
Don’t just stop at once a week: Flossing more often than once a week led to a greater risk reduction.
6. May Promote Better Blood Sugar Control
Poor oral health and gum disease have also been linked with an increased risk of diabetes. Gum disease can interfere with blood sugar control, leading to insulin resistance, which is a condition where excess sugar can build up in the blood.
“Periodontal disease can make it more difficult to control blood sugar levels, and conversely, diabetes can exacerbate gum disease,” Cassleman says.
One study found that people with diabetes who flossed at least once a week had A1C levels that were nearly 1 percent lower than those who didn’t floss. The researchers noted that such a change can make a big difference in the health, quality of life, and survival of those with diabetes. This effect may be due to preventative oral care lowering inflammation, which then benefits insulin resistance.
7. May Improve Outcomes for Alzheimer’s Patients
Gingivitis, which is early-stage gum disease, may be connected with Alzheimer’s disease. The bacteria associated with gingivitis (Porphyromonas gingivalis) can travel from the mouth to the brain. Once there, it may release enzymes that damage nerve cells, which can eventually negatively impact memory and potentially lead to Alzheimer’s.
One study found that promoting good oral health habits, including flossing, among people with mild Alzheimer’s helped slow cognitive decline.
The Takeaway
Brushing is only part of good oral hygiene. Flossing between your teeth can also greatly benefit your oral health, while helping to keep other parts of your body healthy too.
Flossing removes plaque and food from spaces between the teeth that a toothbrush can’t reach, resulting in fewer cavities, a lower risk of gum disease, and better-smelling breath.
Flossing can also reduce oral inflammation, which may benefit heart health, improve blood sugar control, support the immune system, and potentially lead to better outcomes for Alzheimer’s patients.
Elizabeth V. Simpson, DMD, is a clinical associate professor at the Indiana University School of Dentistry in Indianapolis. The bulk of her practice has been in the public health setting.
She attended the University of Notre Dame, where she was a science pre-professional studies major. After college, she worked in the Indianapolis public schools as a bilingual teaching assistant, which is when she decided to become a dentist. She graduated from Tufts University School of Dental Medicine in 2010 and did a general practice residency at Meharry Medical College School of Dentistry.
Dr. Simpson has completed two leadership programs. In one for the Indiana Dental Association, she started a mentoring program pairing high school students from underrepresented groups who were interested in pursuing dentistry with dental students also from underrepresented groups from the Indiana University School of Dentistry. In an American Dental Association program, she started a tooth-brushing program at an elementary school in Indianapolis.
Simpson writes for an American Dental Association blog and has participated as a speaker and panelist at several conferences, including for the Christian Dental Association, American Student Dental Association, and American Association of Women Dentists, as well as for the American Dental Association's Smile Con.
She is fluent in Spanish and speaks conversational French and Portuguese.
Moira Lawler is a journalist who has spent more than a decade covering a range of health and lifestyle topics, including women's health, nutrition, fitness, mental health, and travel. She received a bachelor's degree from Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism and lives in the Chicago suburbs with her husband, two young children, and a giant brown labradoodle.
Everyday Health follows strict sourcing guidelines to ensure the accuracy of its content, outlined in our editorial policy. We use only trustworthy sources, including peer-reviewed studies, board-certified medical experts, patients with lived experience, and information from top institutions.
Resources
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Is It More Effective to Floss Teeth With a Water Flosser or With Dental Floss? Mayo Clinic. January 29, 2025.
How Flossing Teeth Helps More Than Just Your Smile. Penn Dental Medicine. June 16, 2025.
Patrakka O et al. Thrombus Aspirates From Patients With Acute Ischemic Stroke Are Infiltrated by Viridans Streptococci. Journal of the American Heart Association. November 20, 2023.
Souvik S et al. Abstract 19: Dental flossing may lower the risk for incident ischemic stroke, cardioembolic stroke subtype and AF. Stroke. January 30, 2025.
Zapata K. Flossing is a simple step toward big health benefits. UT Health San Antonio. November 8, 2024.
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Good oral health may help protect against Alzheimer’s. Harvard Health Publishing. September 1, 2019.
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