Study Shows Flossing Significantly Decreases Gum Disease and

NYU College of Dentistry researchers Patricia Corby, assistant professor of periodontology and implant dentistry, and Walter Bretz, associate professor of cariology and comprehensive care, have published a study in the Journal of Periodontology that provides new data about the importance of a flossing regimen in addition to daily brushing of the surfaces of the teeth and tongue.  
    Corby and Bretz examined 51 well-matched pairs of twins (each set of twins was a case and a control), regarding their treatment responses to dental flossing over a two-week period. After the study period, putative periodontal pathogens and cariogenic bacteria were overabundant in the group that did not floss compared to the group that did. Additionally, twins who flossed had a significant decrease in gingival bleeding compared to those who did not.
    Because they live together and have similar dietary habits and health practices, twins are considered excellent subjects for research that compares periodontal diseases and cavity development in people of the same age from similar environments.
    This research stems from a five-year study, funded by a $1.7 million grant from the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research. Bretz and Corby have also assembled a cohort of 1,100 twin pairs that include both male and female identical and fraternal twins up to 21 years of age living in disadvantaged neighborhoods in the northeastern Brazilian city of Montes Claros, where inadequate water fluoridation and inability to access dental care put residents at risk for cavities.