{"id":431270,"date":"2026-02-17T23:58:14","date_gmt":"2026-02-17T23:58:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/431270\/"},"modified":"2026-02-17T23:58:14","modified_gmt":"2026-02-17T23:58:14","slug":"the-night-time-habit-that-could-reduce-your-risk-of-dementia-by-nearly-half","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/431270\/","title":{"rendered":"The night-time habit that could reduce your risk of dementia by nearly half"},"content":{"rendered":"

In the UK, there are estimated to be 982,000 people living with dementia<\/a> \u2013 and one in three people will develop the condition in their lifetime.<\/p>\n

Eating a balanced diet, getting enough exercise and quitting smoking can all lower your risk<\/a> of developing the neurological disease, and scientists have also found a link between a simple two-minute bedtime habit and a major reduction in your risk.<\/p>\n

In a recent episode of the podcast The Diary of a CEO<\/a>, guest and epidemiologist Dr Tim Spector shed light on the little-known association between flossing your teeth and better brain health, telling host Stephen Bartlett: \u201cStudies show that, if you are flossing, you can reduce your risk of dementia by nearly half<\/a>, which is quite impressive.”<\/p>\n

Discussing the benefits of using cheap and readily available supermarket floss to remove the bacteria sitting on your gum line, the gut health scientist added: \u201cThis is really new science that shows just how important getting the right bugs in the right places and avoiding the ones in the wrong place really is.\u201d<\/p>\n

How are flossing and dementia linked?\"Shot<\/p>\n

Daily flossing removes plaque and trapped food particles between teeth where brushes cannot reach.<\/p>\n

(Jacob Wackerhausen via Getty Images)<\/p>\n

For years, we\u2019ve been told that flossing can help to remove trapped food particles between teeth where traditional brushing cannot reach.<\/p>\n

Over time, this brings down inflammation in the gums that, if left unchecked, can lead to periodontal disease \u2013 an infection of the tissues that hold your teeth in place.<\/p>\n

But scientists reckon that it\u2019s not just tooth loss that we should be worried about, as studies have linked<\/a> the oral bacteria that cause gum disease with the development of Alzheimer’s \u2013 the progressive brain disorder that affects memory and learning.<\/p>\n

Spector explained to listeners: \u201cIf you\u2019re eating and leaving stuff in and around your gums, that gets inflamed, [which] creates an environment where nasty microbes that love inflammation live.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd, for reasons we don\u2019t know, they seem to pass from your mouth into your brain and trigger inflammation in the brain that increases your risk of dementia.\u201d<\/p>\n

Plenty of research papers have already uncovered links between poor oral health and a higher risk of neurodegenerative diseases, with one 2025 study suggesting<\/a> the risk of Alzheimer\u2019s was more than double in those struggling with issues like gum disease and tooth loss.<\/p>\n

In the same way we care for our gut health to reduce our risk of serious diseases like cancer and heart disease, Spector believes it\u2019s now just as important to pay attention to the bacteria in our mouths, taking steps like flossing to remove the inflammatory microbes that live on our teeth, tongue and gums.<\/p>\n

Is it ever too late to start flossing?<\/p>\n

In the UK, only a minority of people floss regularly, with studies showing just 30% of adults<\/a> use dental floss.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt is definitely never too late to start,\u201d reckons dentist Dr Nayan Patel from Harley Street Dental Studio<\/a>. \u201cJust like it’s never too late to visit the dentist.”<\/p>\n

No matter how long you’ve delayed flossing, or the condition of your teeth, Patel assures that focusing on improving your oral health can make a significant difference and even slow the progression of gum disease in some cases.<\/p>\n

“Flossing can sometimes be tricky if you have crowded teeth or have accumulated tartar build-up inbetween the teeth, but your dentist and hygienist can educate you on this if you are struggling,” he adds.<\/p>\n

How often should I floss?<\/p>\n

Whether you\u2019re coming home from a night out or you’re physically exhausted from a busy week, flossing is one of those habits that it\u2019s easy to skip when you\u2019re desperate to crawl into bed \u2013 but Patel says consistency is vital.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt should really be done once daily as a minimum, either before or after brushing,\u201d he says. If you\u2019re already struggling with sore or painful gums, some dentists recommend increasing your flossing efforts to twice daily (both morning and night) to help bring the existing inflammation down.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe biggest concern patients complain of when they start a flossing habit is bleeding,\u201d says Patel, who assures this is usually nothing to worry about. \u201cOften, the bleeding comes from the inflammation itself, not because you’re flossing wrong.”<\/p>\n

In fact, Patel says this inflammation tends to occur due to a lack of flossing, and that you’ll usually notice the bleeding reduces as the inflammation settles.<\/p>\n

\"Package<\/p>\n

Bleeding when flossing can be a sign of inflammation, but it usually settles if you stick to a regular cleaning routine, says Patel.<\/p>\n

(Tatiana Stepanishcheva via Getty Images)What’s the best type of floss to use?<\/p>\n

While any efforts to floss your teeth are going to spell good news for your oral health, Patel reckons there\u2019s one style that has a slight edge over the other.<\/p>\n

\u201cInterdental brushes [tiny tooth-sized cleaners you can wedge between the gaps in your teeth] are slightly better than classic string floss, as they\u2019re physically bigger, so they clean and contact more surface area,” he notes.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat said, some patients with overlapping teeth prefer to switch to string floss for certain areas of the mouth, as this can get in between tight spots better.”<\/p>\n

If you\u2019re concerned about your teeth or gums, he recommends booking an appointment with a dentist, who can check for signs of decay and gum disease and suggest the right treatment plan to stabilise your oral health.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"In the UK, there are estimated to be 982,000 people living with dementia \u2013 and one in three…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":431271,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[10],"tags":[854,157824,157825,59,102,127713,5877,136804,56,54,55],"class_list":["post-431270","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-health","tag-dementia","tag-dr-nayan-patel","tag-flossing","tag-gb","tag-health","tag-periodontal-disease","tag-teeth","tag-tim-spector","tag-uk","tag-united-kingdom","tag-unitedkingdom"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/431270","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=431270"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/431270\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/431271"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=431270"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=431270"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=431270"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}