How often do you floss? If you’ve ever been to the dentist you have surely been asked that question. Only 4 out of 10 Americans report flossing daily. We often get asked if flossing is really necessary, so let us tell you why it is such an important habit to have!
If you were washing dishes, you wouldn’t wash one side of the dish then call it “clean”. Well, you shouldn’t do that with your teeth either! When you brush you are really only cleaning 3 of the 5 surfaces of your teeth. If you don’t floss you are not getting a good clean in-between your teeth and that can lead to inter-proximal caries, otherwise known as “flossing cavities”. These are cavities that can be easily avoided by flossing at least once daily. Flossing breaks up the bacterial bio-film so that it cannot continue to populate and wreck havoc on your teeth.
If you skip flossing you could have more than just bad breath and cavities in store for you. Not flossing can lead to gingivitis, a gum disease that causes inflamed and sensitive gums. Gingivitis is preventable and can be reversed if you practice good oral hygiene. If ignored gingivitis can turn into periodontitis, a serious gum infection that damages the gum tissue and often times causes bone loss, putting the patient at a greater risk of losing teeth. Periodontitis cannot be reversed and can lead to insulin resistance and therefore diabetes. Believe it or not, the same bacteria associated with periodontitis has also been found in diseased human hearts. Doctors still don’t fully understand why, but are linking periodontitis to heart disease.
Gums bleed when you floss? There is an easy solution to that-floss more! Don’t exactly love flossing?
Here’s a few tips:
-If you have tight contacts between your teeth and floss tends to shred on you, try a thinner “tape-like” floss.
-For open spaces between teeth, try a thicker, nylon floss.
-When flossing use a C motion to curve around each tooth.
-Be sure to keep using a clean section of floss.
Still don’t want to floss? There’s plenty of flossing options out there for those who can’t get down with the old fashioned stuff. Utilizing a Waterpik is a great option if you just know you won’t ever become a flosser.
