Brush teeth thoroughly, clean between teeth daily, and see a dentist if you have missing teeth
Original: eternity4719 · source details
Original author: eternity4719 · Chinese source: · English adaptation: parveen0029. Translation and grade notes ↗
Bibliographic titles are retained in their original language.
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Cost and benefit at a glance
- Check the cost Cost ↓
- Dental floss or interdental brushes cost just a few dozen yuan per year, while professional cleanings run about 100–200 yuan each. It takes only two to three ex…
- Then the source benefit Benefit ↓
- A Japanese study followed 9,676 participants for six years. Those who used interdental cleaning tools saw their mortality risk drop by about 11% (hazard ratio 0.89). Those who used…
In plain terms
People who clean between their teeth daily have roughly a 10% lower chance of dying over the same period. For elderly individuals with no natural teeth, the risk of death is about 90% higher. Those with fewer than 20 natural teeth face roughly double the risk. Having missing teeth evaluated by a dentist protects periodontal health and eating function.
This guide's cartoon · show illustration
Enlarge illustrationOriginal illustration with Chinese lettering; the English dialogue is below. Humour is a reading aid, not evidence.
English dialogue
- I take health seriously!
- What does your average day look like?
Cost: what it takes
Dental floss or interdental brushes cost just a few dozen yuan per year, while professional cleanings run about 100–200 yuan each. It takes only two to three extra minutes per day. The real challenge is making flossing a daily habit.
Benefit: what the source reports
A Japanese study followed 9,676 participants for six years. Those who used interdental cleaning tools saw their mortality risk drop by about 11% (hazard ratio 0.89). Those who used tongue cleaners saw a 23% reduction (HR 0.77). When multiple studies of community-dwelling seniors are combined, people with no natural teeth have roughly 1.87 times the risk of death (95% CI 1.35–2.59). Those with fewer than 20 natural teeth face about 2.04 times the risk (95% CI 1.67–2.49).
Conditions, limits and disagreements
This topic remains debated. These studies are purely observational; individuals with poor dental health often also have poorer overall health and lower socioeconomic status. It is unclear whether poor dental health directly drives systemic disease or reflects general decline; getting dental implants or dentures has not been directly tested in trials for mortality reduction. Regardless, the cost of proper oral hygiene is very low, and missing teeth directly impair nutritional intake and masticatory function.
Original references
Original bibliographic titles and links are preserved; some titles are in Chinese.
Wang K, Matsuyama Y, Kiuchi S, et al. (2026). Routine oral health practices and all-cause mortality. Journal of Dentistry. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jdent.2026.106789；Ko MJ, Seo S, So JS, et al. (2026). Deteriorated oral health and function as risk factors for physical disability and mortality in community-dwelling older adults: a systematic review and meta-analysis. European Geriatric Medicine. https://doi.org/10.1007/s41999-025-01319-4；Yaacob M, Worthington HV, Deacon SA, et al. (2014). Powered versus manual toothbrushing for oral health. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. https://doi.org/10.1002/14651858.CD002281.pub3；Deacon SA, Glenny AM, Deery C, et al. (2010). Different powered toothbrushes for plaque control and gingival health. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. https://doi.org/10.1002/14651858.CD004971.pub2
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