The other day I was walking with a friend and we got on the topic of men and their flossing habits. I asked her if it was wrong that I would stop considering a potential guy if he didn’t floss or wasn’t willing to start flossing.

I told her that non-flossing is a deal-breaker for me. It seemed so severe, so I was shocked that she actually agreed with me! This doesn’t mean we are high-maintenance, overly picky girls.

We just happen to love kissing men and insist that the recipient of our kisses provide a hygienic welcome. Personally, I don’t care if a man has a jacked-up grill. It’s how you take care of it, really.

Here’s my pointless attempt to try to convince you men out there to start flossing:

1. If you’re only brushing, and not flossing, you’re only cleaning 60 percent of your teeth. This means that without flossing, 40% of the surfaces of your teeth are NEVER clean!
2. Harvard Medical School researchers studied longevity (living long) and found one of the most important contributing factors was daily flossing. Because it removes bacteria from the teeth and gums, flossing helps to prevent periodontal disease and gingivitis.
3. Another study found that men with periodontitis had a whopping 72% greater risk of developing coronary disease.
4. There is also a possible association of gum disease with a series of potentially life-threatening disorders. Scientific evidence now exists that strongly suggests associations between poor periodontal (gum) health and these systemic illnesses:

Heart Disease
Oral bacteria may compromise cardiovascular (heart) health by promoting the formation of blood clots and fatty deposits. Periodontitis (infection in the gums) has been implicated as a risk factor for cardiovascular disease.

Diabetes
Periodontal diseases may make it more difficult for people who have diabetes to control their blood sugar. In addition, diabetics with periodontitis are more likely to have heart attacks than those with healthy gums.

Respiratory Disease
Oral infections, including periodontitis, are associated with increased risk of respiratory infection and endocarditis, especially in those with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

So, I said it was a pointless attempt because a lot of people could care less about their own health. So if you’re not convinced to take care of yourself, at least do it for your significant other.

Here’s how it affects your significant other:

1. Gum disease can pass through saliva, so kissing your loved ones can put them at risk of contracting gum disease.
2. And the most obvious: BAD BREATH. Garlic breath, I can handle. Onion breath, you’re forgiven. Morning breath doesn’t make it past the first brushing. Years of plaque on your teeth creating a living orifice of infection and reeking of decay? Not excusable. There is one fact: Periodontal or gum disease is a bacterial infection.

Let me put it this way:

Dating a guy who doesn’t floss is like regularly making out with a bacterial infection.

So please refrain from calling me high-maintenance and picky.

Given the statistics, I might be single forever. Statistics show that fewer that ten percent of the population ever flosses regularly or effectively. This is my sad little attempt at trying to increase this statistic!

Sources: http://www.dentalgentlecare.com/flossing.htm