Chances are when you go see your dentist and your hygenist you hear the question, “have you been flossing?”
For some people, the answer is yes. But most likely you don’t, and here is why you should floss at least once a day.
Your dentist and hygienist are not trying to pry and make you feel guilty about not flossing. They want to make sure you are practicing preventative care. The more preventative care you do at home, the healthier your dental health will be in the long run (meaning you’ll be less likely to have to undergo major dental operations).
So what does flossing have to do with my overall oral health?
Floss is an interdental cleaner, which means it is designed specifically to clean the tight spaces between the teeth. Now you might be thinking, “well doesn’t a toothbrush clean in between the teeth, then what are toothbrushes for?” A toothbrush is designed to clean the outer surfaces of the teeth and gums.
If you are simply only brushing your teeth those nooks and crannies are left uncleaned. What is left in these nooks and crannies are plaque and excess food particles. Why is it bad to have plaque on your teeth? Dental plaque left in between your teeth produces an acid that destroys your gums and your teeth.
If that doesn’t convince you here are 5 reasons why you should add flossing to your dental routine today:
1. Flossing and brushing are more effective than brushing alone
Adding flossing to your routine will give you optimal results that brushing alone cannot achieve. The ADA suggests that flossing before you brush will make brushing your teeth more effective. When there is less plaque between your teeth the fluoride in toothpaste can get to more parts of your teeth.
2. Flossing protects your gums
Do you hate the sound of dental equipment scraping your teeth? By flossing you can reduce the amount of time the hygienist spends scraping away your plaque and tartar build up. When food particles get trapped on your teeth, it leads to plaque and overtime plaque will harden and form tartar, a thick deposit that can only be professionally removed with a scraper. When left untreated it can lead to gum disease, and eventually tooth and bone loss.
3. Flossing can save you money
Who doesn’t love saving money? We can all agree that health costs continue to rise and insurance benefits continue to diminish. This means more out of pocket payments for visits to health professionals. With preventative actions, such as making flossing a habit, you are less likely to find yourself in need of costly treatments.
4. Flossing helps prevent other diseases
The bacteria that lives inside an unhealthy mouth can be harmful to the rest of the body, which can lead to heart disease, respiratory illness, and diabetes. Heart disease is the number one cause of death in the United States, so if your dental health is a contributing factor, flossing once a day is a simple step to help with your long-term health.
5. Brighter whiter teeth
So how can flossing make your teeth look whiter? When you floss your teeth you remove plaque and excess food particles. By removing the excess food particles and plaque your teeth will look brighter.
So, the important step of flossing can do much more than keep your smile, dentist, and hygienist happy and healthy. Let us know if you’re still not convinced.