Law Wanxi, the resident BB&W doctor, sent a note to me this week about how skipping the floss can lead to heart disease so I would cover that aspect for our heart health series.

Bacteria festering between your teeth can lead to that crud making it’s way through your entire body. “According to the American Academy of Periodontology, people with periodontal disease are almost twice as likely to have coronary artery disease (also called heart disease). And one study found that the presence of common problems in the mouth, including gum disease (gingivitis), cavities, and missing teeth, were as good at predicting heart disease as cholesterol levels,” says WebMd.

Think about you–all that bacteria breeding in your mouth is readily consumed every time you swallow. That rogue bacteria in your blood stream, combined with the flakes of plaque that get released is bad on your heart and other organs. It also leads to inflammation throughout.

You can reduce the amount of bad bacteria in your mouth by–you guessed it–reducing sugar. Bacteria thrive on sugar–that’s how they get their energy too. Starve the bacteria, reduce the damage to your mouth.

Reduce your sugar, and up your intake of probiotics, the good bacteria that crowds out the bad bacteria, boosts your immune system, and helps with the absorption of B vitamins.

You might also want to invest in an electric toothbrush from Oral B. The sonic motions cleans 10 times better than your low-tech brush.