Brush teeth thoroughly and floss daily; replace missing teeth promptly
UpdatedGrade BMedium benefitLifespanLow costLittle timeSome willpower
People who floss 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. An electric toothbrush removes roughly a tenth to a fifth more plaque than a manual one and leaves the gums a little less inflamed, but how much this difference matters is still unclear.
- 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 extra minutes per day. The real challenge is making flossing a daily habit. If a manual toothbrush doesn’t get your teeth clean, you can switch to an electric one, a few hundred yuan, with the head replaced regularly.
- 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 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). Electric versus manual: pooling 51 randomized trials, after 1 to 3 months of use electric brushes left about 11% less plaque, and after more than 3 months about 21% less. Gingivitis was about 6% and 11% milder respectively. The review authors say it is unclear how much these differences matter for health.
- Notes
- 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 harms overall health or whether poor health leads to poor dental health. Regardless, the cost of proper dental care is very low, and periodontal disease and missing teeth do directly affect eating ability. Among electric toothbrushes, the round-headed type that rotates back and forth has the most trials, and its advantage over a manual brush is the most certain. The independent review reached no conclusion on which type of electric toothbrush is better, because there were too few trials.
Sources · 4
- Wang K, Matsuyama Y, Kiuchi S, et al. (2026). Routine oral health practices and all-cause mortality. Journal of Dentistry. 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. 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. 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. doi.org/10.1002/14651858.CD004971.pub2