When you go to the dentist, it is more likely that you will be asked, if you’re flossing regularly. For a lot of patients, the answer isn’t always yes. Many people make a point of brushing their teeth twice a day but fewer people follow the recommendation to floss at least once a day.
An increasing body of evidence suggests that proper dental care — including regular flossing — can do more than just keep your smile pretty and healthy. A healthy mouth can also help prevent much more serious diseases, some of which can be life threatening. But if you’re still not convinced that you should add flossing to your daily routine, we’ve gathered four of the best reasons why it is extremely important to everyone:
- Contrary to the common belief, flossing isn’t just to remove the debris of food in your teeth. It actually is all about removing dental plaque — which is the cause behind dental decay, gingivitis, tooth loss, and disease. No matter how much you brush, nothing will remove plaque as effectively as flossing regularly.
- In the long run, you’ll end up saving money. While it might seem like an investment to make sure you have flossing tools, toothbrushes, and regular dentist visits, it is nothing compared to the cost you’ll pay to fix dental problems and other health problems.
- Which brings me to my next point — poor oral hygiene could possibly lead to heart disease and diabetes, as well as arthritis, lung conditions and obesity.
- If you are pregnant, make sure you floss! Because inflammation and infection sometimes interferes with an unborn child’s development, researchers are now looking more into a connection between gum disease and infant development problems.
At a basic level, dentists and hygienists recommend flossing as a preventative approach for two reasons. One, to help prevent tooth decay that can originate from the presence of acid-producing bacterial biofilm between teeth. Two, to help prevent the gingivitis that can stem from an immune system-mediated inflammatory response to the presence of bacterial biofilm between teeth.
While no study shows that flossing is 100 percent effective, one thing is for sure – dentist’s still believe that the benefits of flossing are very significant. If you know that leaving bacterial plaque on your teeth leads to dental disease, why would you not want to clean between your teeth where your toothbrush cannot reach?
