The boar's bristle toothbrush was invented in China in 1498, and stiff, coarse hairs from a hog's neck were used to clean teeth until 1938, when nylon bristles were introduced as Doctor West's Miracle Toothbrush.

Dental floss was mass marketed much earlier. Johnson & Johnson first sold it in 1896.

But despite a long history of teeth- and gum-saving products being available, around 40% of adults ages 30 and up in the U.S. have periodontitis — advanced gum disease that is associated with stroke, heart disease, Type 2 diabetes, dementia, and problems during pregnancy.

Now research in the journal BMJ Open has found that over the course of around three years, people who are diagnosed with periodontal disease are also at a 37% increased risk of developing anxiety, a 29% increase in depression risk, and significant increases in risk for other serious mental illnesses.

On top of that, their risk of developing cardiovascular disease goes up 18%, the risk for Type 2 diabetes shoots up by 26%, and the risk of developing an autoimmune disease increases 33%. 

Clearly, to protect your mental and physical health you need to brush two to three times a day, floss daily, and see your dentists for checkups and cleanings as recommended (minimum twice a year).

In addition, don't use coated floss because it may have PFAs, those carcinogenic chemicals that have been linked to kidney and testicular cancer, decreased semen quality, and ulcerative colitis in adults, as well as thyroid disease and decreased sex and growth hormones in children.