Flossing Teeth is Still Necessary | Schmakel Smile Design

Confused about the recent headlines regarding the benefits of flossing? You’re certainly not alone. Flossing teeth is still necessary!

Recently, the US Department of Health and Human Services removed a recommendation for daily flossing from its 2016 dietary guidelines. They cited that the effectiveness of flossing has never been satisfactorily researched, as required. (This followed a request from the Associated Press to provide evidence under the Freedom of Information Act.) A statement issued by the American Academy of Periodontology acknowledged that most of the current evidence fell short because researchers had not been able to include enough participants or “examine gum health over a significant amount of time.”

That bit of news made big headlines. Let’s face it – as much as we hate to admit it, nobody really loves to floss. It’s a little time consuming, and if you don’t do it frequently it can, literally, be a pain. But flossing allows you to clean the areas of your teeth your toothbrush can’t reach. It’s an easy and inexpensive way to keep your teeth and gums healthy – and it’s just common sense.

Would you only paint two sides of a house?

Think of it this way, when you brush your teeth, your toothbrush does a great job of reaching the front and back surfaces of your teeth. But what about the surfaces in between your teeth? If you’re not flossing, chances are you’re not removing the plaque and debris from those areas – especially if your teeth have little or no space between them. It’s like having a new house, but only painting two sides of it; the other two sides are left unprotected and will eventually rot, damaging the structure of the entire building.

Why is this important? Because flossing helps prevent tooth decay. Left alone, that film of sticky bacteria on your teeth, better known as plaque, will produce acid that will eat away at your enamel and cause tooth decay. Flossing breaks up the plaque, pulling it away from the surfaces of your teeth so you can brush and rinse it away. But to be most effective, you need to floss once a day because plaque re-forms quickly, usually within 24 hours. Plaque that stays on your teeth longer than 2 or 3 days can harden under your gum line into tartar. Tartar makes plaque more difficult to remove and creates a protective shield for bacteria. You usually can’t get rid of tartar by brushing and flossing — you need a professional dental cleaning to remove it.

Plaque not only causes tooth decay, it also leads to gum disease. The longer that plaque and tartar remain on your teeth, the more they irritate the gingiva, the part of your gum around the base of your teeth. In time, your gums become swollen and bleed easily – this is called gingivitis. Left untreated, gingivitis becomes periodontitis, a serious infection of the gums which can lead to tooth or bone loss. Periodontitis has also been linked to heart disease and strokes. (We offer gum disease treatment at our office in Toledo, near Sylvania.)

So what’s the bottom line on flossing teeth?

The decision whether or not to floss your teeth is a matter of health, and the ultimate decision is up to you. But flossing once a day is an easy and inexpensive way to reduce your risk of serious tooth and gum issues – especially compared to the cost and discomfort of dental treatment or surgery for advanced tooth decay or periodontitis. Dr. Larry and the dental professionals recommend flossing once per day using traditional floss, flossing tools, or a WaterPik water flosser to keep that beautiful smile healthy for a lifetime.

How else can you protect your teeth from gum disease?

Having your teeth cleaned and examined by dental professionals is key to keeping gum disease at bay. The dental professionals at Schmakel Smile Designs can help keep your smile as healthy as it is beautiful! Make an appointment, or call us at (419) 841-9494.