Study: Flossing Does Not Prevent Gum Disease/Tooth Decay
The study, conducted at New York University, examined 51 sets of twins between the agesÂ of 12 and 21.Â Each set was randomly assigned aÂ two-weekÂ treatment regimen with one twin brushing with a manual toothbrush and toothpaste and the other twin brushing with a manual toothbrush and toothpaste and flossing.  At the end of the two-weekÂ trial, 10-percent of the flossers had died from cardio-pulmonary disease whereas none of the non-flossers had died.Â  Also, the flossers experienced 35-percent more tooth decay. âThis study illustrates that those who have refused to floss have been right all along,â explains Dr. Kenneth Kornblume, editor of JOP.Â  âI am sending notices to all my patients telling them to stop flossing if they were foolish enough to start.âÂ  Dr. Kornblume said he never told his patients to floss because he never believed in its efficacy. Â  Some mental health advocates have warned for years that daily flossing was symptomatic of obsessive-compulsive disorder.Â  âEncouraging people to floss one or even twice daily only increases unhealthy mental behavior,â said Santa Marino psychiatrist and author Dr. Benjamin C. Klein.Â  âIf you think about it slipping a string in between every gap between all of your teeth every day is obsessive behavior,â said Dr. Klein. Johnson & Johnson â manufacturer of 90-percent of dental floss consumer in the U.S. â issued a statement in response to the study.Â  âJ&J stands by the right of all Americans to choose to floss and believe floss can be a part of a healthy dental hygiene routine.â