It’s a very easy thing to do that can reduce your chance of getting pneumonia: brush your teeth twice daily with a toothpaste with fluoride and floss once daily. A Yale study reported in 2012 that a small sampling of people showed a link between brushing and flossing and a reduced incidence of pneumonia.
The study targeted bacteria in the mouth as it related to the development of pneumonia. Brushing, the study’s author is quoted as saying, will help a person maintain the proper bacteria in the mouth and thereby reduce the risk of pneumonia.
