This good hygiene habit could reduce your risk of a stroke – but only a third of Americans do it

Watch out for your hygiene!

About 795,000 Americans will have a stroke this year, but new research suggests that a common and healthy habit could reduce the risk of certain types of stroke.

“A recent global health report has revealed that oral diseases – such as dental caries and untreated gum diseases – affected 3.5 billion people in 2022, making it the most health problems widespread, “said the main study author, Dr. Souvik Sen.

“We have aimed to determine what behavior of oral hygiene – dental silk, brushing or regular dental visits – has the greatest impact on stroke prevention,” added Sen, president of the department of neurology of the School of medicine at the University of South Carolina.

The Sen team has linked the teeth of dental silk at least once a week at a lower risk of the lower ischemic stroke, a risk of 44% lower of cardiomolic stroke and a lower risk of AFIB at 12%.

Traits explained

Most cerebral vascular accidents are ischemic – they occur when there is a blockage in an inadequate artery or blood flow through this artery which causes an area of ​​the brain.

A cardiombolic stroke occurs when a blood clot passing from the heart to the brain, blocking blood flow towards a part of the brain.

And atrial fibrillation, also known as AFIB, describes a heart rate that is too slow, too fast or irregular in another way. This can lead to a stroke, heart failure or other complications.

AFIB affects more than 5 million American adults – this number should reach more than 12 million by 2030, according to the American Heart Association.

How dental silk can reduce the risk of stroke

“Oral health behavior is linked to inflammation and hardening of the arteries,” said Sen. “Dental silk can reduce the risk of stroke by lowering oral infections and inflammation and encouraging other healthy habits.”

“Many people have expressed that dental care is expensive,” he said. “Dental silk is a healthy habit that is easy to adopt, affordable and accessible everywhere.”

This is good news for the 37% of Americans who claim to have dental silk once a week. Almost 32% of Americans admit that they are not at all dental silk, while the same amount reports that they are threading daily.

In Sen’s study, more than 6,200 people answered a questionnaire on their dental silk routine.

Participants were followed for 25 years. Meanwhile, 434 had cerebral vascular accidents and nearly 1,300 experienced Afib.

Dental silk has more often led to a greater chance of reducing the risk of stroke.

The Sen team noted that the risk of lower stroke was independent of the brushing of teeth, routine dental tours and other oral hygiene habits.

Research, which has not been evaluated by peers, will be presented next week at the international conference of the American Stroche Association 2025.

How to select a healthy silk

In addition to potentially the drop in the risk of stroke, dental silk eliminates the plate and the food particles from your teeth to reduce your risk of cavities and periodontal diseases.

But some silks contain per- and polyfluoroalkyle (PFAS) substances, what are called “chemicals forever” that persist in the body and have been linked to a multitude of health problems.

A 2019 study of the non -profit research organization Silent Spring Institute revealed that fluorine – a marker of PFAS – in several wire brands. PFAs in the coating help slide the wire between the teeth.

“We are concerned about the potential for PFAS chemicals to migrate out of dental silk and to be ingested,” said Katie Boronow, a silent researcher in the spring, in post this week.

“We want to emphasize that it is important that people are dental silk in good oral hygiene,” she added. “The good news is that some brands do not contain PFAS.”

Boronow recommends looking for nylon or silk dental silk which is useless or coated with natural wax.