NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WZTV) — A seemingly healthy Nashville man says flossing his death nearly killed him. 52-year old Bill Knestrick was rushed to the ER earlier this year after coming down with unexplainable fevers.
After running lab tests, doctors discovered oral strep bacteria was covering Knestrick’s heart. Vanderbilt Infectious Disease doctors asked Knestrick if he had any recent bleeding in his mouth.
Knestrick remembered re-using sharp plastic flossing picks that may have made his gums bleed. Dr. Patty Wright M.D. says aggressive flossing can push bacteria into the bloodstream. Most times the body will fight off the bacteria but in Knestrick’s case it caused an infection that traveled to his heart.