You’re sitting in the chair at the dentist and the dreaded but needed question is asked, “Have you been flossing daily?” With your mouth packed full of dental instruments, you can mumble either a “yes” or “no.” Your dentist isn’t asking the common question just to see if you are keeping up on oral hygiene, but rather to show you how your oral health can affect your overall health and well-being. Flossing does more than help keep your breath fresh, but it can also help prevent heart disease. Because heart disease is the number one killer in America, flossing daily is a habit that could save your life.

Without good oral hygiene, bacteria can reach your blood stream, contributing to plaque formation in your coronary arteries, according to the American Academy of Periodontology. Research has also shown that you are twice as likely to have coronary artery disease when periodontal disease is present. To prevent your oral hygiene from affecting heart health, the American Dental Association recommends flossing daily. Proper flossing doesn’t entail the swift strait in between two teeth. Rather, make a “C” with the floss wrapping along one side of the tooth down to the gumline and back to the edge of the tooth, then switch to the adjacent tooth and create the same “C” shape motion. Flossing is a daily habit that will only take a few minutes, but it will add strides to your oral and heart health. Do this, and next time you visit the dentist, you can proudly say that you have been flossing daily.