Brush teeth carefully, clean between teeth once every day, and see a dentist if you lose a tooth

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 you cannot clean adequately with a manual toothbrush, you can switch to a powered one: it costs a few hundred yuan, and the brush head needs regular replacement.

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, the odds ratio for death in people with no natural teeth was about 1.87 (95% CI 1.35–2.59). The odds ratio for those with fewer than 20 natural teeth was about 2.04 (95% CI 1.67–2.49). An odds ratio cannot be read directly as a multiple of the probability of death. Comparing powered with manual brushes: a meta-analysis of 51 randomized trials found about 11% less plaque with powered brushing after 1–3 months of use, and about 21% less after more than 3 months. Gingivitis was reduced by about 6% and 11%, respectively. The review authors said the clinical importance of these differences remains unclear.

Wang K, Matsuyama Y, Kiuchi S, et al. (2026). Routine oral health practices and all-cause mortality. Journal of Dentistry. https://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. https://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. https://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. https://doi.org/10.1002/14651858.CD004971.pub2

Controversial. This type of research is merely tracking records. People with poor dental health often also have poor overall health and economic status. It is unclear whether dental issues drag down physical health, or if poor physical health leads to dental issues. However, this habit costs very little, and periodontitis and missing teeth themselves affect eating. Among electric toothbrushes, the round head that rotates back and forth has been tested the most (27 trials); compared to manual brushing, both short-term and long-term results show a significant reduction in dental plaque and gingivitis. Whether replacing missing teeth can reduce mortality has not been measured by any study. The suggestion to replace teeth is because missing teeth affect eating, which is the author's judgment. Regarding which type of electric toothbrush is better, independent reviews have not reached a conclusion because there are too few trials. For how much a dental implant costs and which dental items are covered by medical insurance in China, see Section 24, Item 12 (ask clearly about the fixed price before getting an implant).