Dental Medicine's Gian Pietro Schincaglia discusses the importance of flossing

Why flossing matters more than you think—and not just for your teeth and gums

Real Simple: Gian Pietro Schincaglia, professor and chair of periodontics at the School of Dental Medicine, discussed the importance of flossing—not just for healthy gums and teeth, but for overall health, as the two are connected. “A lot of degenerative diseases that we have, like diabetes, atherosclerosis, ulcerative colitis, other inflammatory bowel diseases, [and] Alzheimer’s are based on a chronic inflammatory process,” he said.