Few Reasons To Floss Your Teeth

Something many of us have been asked from both our dentistprobably our parents is “are you still flossing regularly?” Unfortunately the answer for some of us is no. If you are brushing everyday that is good, although this only cleans the bottoms, front,backs of your teeth,does not help much between the teeth. Flossing does what is known as an interdental cleaner which is used to clean the small spaces between the teethalso the gap between the gumsthe teeth. We are going to look at a few reasons why we need to be sure that we are flossing regularly.

Flossing is Good for the Gums

When thinking about flossing, the first thing that comes to mind for most people is keeping their teeth healthy. While flossing keeps our teeth healthy it also has a big impact on the health of our gums too. Without flossing our food can get stuck between our teeth eventually leading to plaquetartar where the gumsteeth meet. If this plaquetartar harden over time,  a dentist will have to remove it with a scraper. This build up untreated can then lead to gingivitis causing redswollen gums. Even worst, if continued, this could lead to periodontitis which is severe gum disease which has severe inflammationtooth or bone loss.

Brushing alone is not as effective as both flossingbrushing together

A lot of people when asked if they floss, they simply say “I brush my teeth everyday, so I’m fine?” Although brushing once or even twice a day may be good, it doesn’t not provide the holistic cleaning that is needed for complete dental health. The main weakness of the toothbrush is that it is unable to effectively clean between the teeth. Flossing is made specifically to remove plaque from the hard to reach places that our tooth brushes cannot reach. Yes our toothbrush does a great job cleaningremoving plaque on the surface of our teeth, but it comes up short when cleaning between the tight spaces of our teeth. Flossingbrushing together provide the full maintenance we need for healthy teethgums.

Flossing can save you money

Everyone can stand to save a more money. Something not often thought about is how flossing can help you save money in the long run. There are a lot of dental diseases such as gingivitisperiodontitis that can be prevented if proper flossing occurs. As stated earlier, without flossing, plaquetartar can build up around the teethgumscan eventually lead to those diseases if left treated. Those treatments can be costlycould be prevented with proper maintenance which includes flossing.

As flossing is helpful, you should also visit your dentist for regular check ups to make sure any dental issues are handled in a timely manner. These checkups along with brushingflossing will ensure long lasting dental health.

 

I am Valerie M. Preston, DDS with more than 20 years of experience in the dental industry. I’m an expert in restorativecosmetic dentistrya proud member of the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry, the American Dental Associationthe North Carolina Dental Society. I own VPreston Dental in Raleigh, NC, a dental clinic known for its spa-like ambiance. For more details, you can check out my website, FacebookTwitter pages.