The other day I thought I saw an article with "flossing can kill you" in the title. That did not seem like good dental health. I have had much dental repair (as a result of not flossing) and multiple instructions in flossing technique. My dentist tells me to floss every day, even if I do not brush. My curiosity piqued.

I found the scoop. Not flossing can kill you. Flossing removes plaque, which prevents gum disease--which will kill you if left untreated.

And flossing can kill you IF
    you have an artificial heart valve and
    you cut your gum and let bacteria into your blood stream.
    
It seems as though artificial heart valves have stagnant "breeding places" for bacteria that the body's immune system does not access. The bacteria lodge and multiply, causing a killer infection. A woman with artificial valves spent weeks in the hospital getting rid of the infection that was trying to kill her.

These bacteria can breed in artificial joints, as well. However, artificial heart valves are more dangerous.

If you have any kind of artificial valve or joint, you need to be cautious about infections. You still need to floss. The guidelines are:
    
    Floss gently and often. Do not cause bleeding.
    Use floss with a larger diameter--a thicker floss.
    If you do bleed, you may want to check with your doctor.