The Quest for Scientific Certainty Is Futile

I don’t floss. This makes me, as my dentists always seem to imply, a naughty boy, a disgusting human willing to walk around with bits of food stuck between my teeth. Of all the dreaded parts of any dentist visit, the worst is receiving a condescending lecture on the merits of flossing.

Then I found a secret weapon: a 2019 research review by Cochrane, an independent network of scientists widely considered to produce the most golden of gold-standard research. They pulled together studies that investigated the impact of flossing or using other devices that clean between teeth on dental health: 35 randomized-controlled trials, 3,929 participants total.

The results were dismal. Flossing “may” reduce gingivitis, the meta-analysis found, but the effects were uncertain and barely significant statistically. None of the studies investigated whether flossing prevents cavities.

--The Quest for Scientific Certainty Is Futile

это NYT если чо via

там много про что: sunscreen, cold medicines, anti-depression drugs, etc.