“Have you been flossing?”
It’s a question that almost every team of dentists, dental assistants, and hygienists across America is certain to ask each and every patient as they begin their cleaning, checkup, or dental procedure. Some are able to smile brightly with a, “yes.” If so, high fives all around. Sadly, most tuck their head and weakly answer with a, “no.”
Moms have yelled it enough and bad breath alone is justification enough. So, most everyone knows that twice daily teeth brushing is a must. Dental flossing, however, is a recommendation by dental health professionals that very few patients actually go home and perform on a routine and consistent basis. Unlike brushing, flossing doesn’t have a tangible, visible, and sensory effect. Therefore, it often gets unwisely thrown off into the bucket of things you’ll start doing better at tomorrow.
Why Is Flossing Vital To Dental Health Today, Not Tomorrow?
Many patients don’t understand just what an invaluable role flossing has in their everyday dental health. Again, out of sight, out of mind. But, the long-term consequences can be quite severe and shocking.
A tooth’s surface area is beyond what you see with your eyes. Toothbrushes clean the visible parts of the teeth and gums. Flossing gets the out of sight surface areas between the teeth and between the teeth and gums. These are tight spaces that a toothbrush is unable to reach, but where cavities are still capable of forming.
By not flossing, you’re neglecting to clean around 40% of the total surface area of your teeth. That’s a lot of nasty leftover to cause gum and tooth disease.
Note: Don’t assume that antimicrobial mouthwash will take care of what your toothbrush misses. Yes, it kills bacteria that forms plaque, but it doesn’t remove already formed plaque on teeth. Tarter builds up and then attracts more bacteria to the area to restart the process and worsen the formations.
When plaque and tarter build up around the area where the teeth meet the gums, which is floss’s job to rid, it can lead to gingivitis. This gum disease causes inflamed, bleeding, and tender gums. It’s quite common and can be corrected by 1) properly brushing teeth, 2) properly flossing teeth, and 3) regular visits to your dental provider.
Failing to recognize and correct respectively minor dental issues like gingivitis can lead to dental nightmares.
When gingivitis, for example, isn’t treated with improved oral hygiene, then it can progress to periodontitis. The results of periodontitis are not reversible. The bone around the gums begins to break down, which may cause elongated teeth, loosening of teeth, and the teeth falling out of the gums entirely.
Dental decay is another consequence of not flossing regularly. Dental decay forms in the tight spaces between your teeth and your teeth and gums when harmful microbes are left behind by brushing and mouthwash alone. Only floss can reach these tight spaces to extract the microbes that cause cavities.
Such dental and gum diseases are extremely costly and causes undue pain and losses to patients. Flossing is a simple, cost-effective prevention tool that only adds a few minutes to your morning and evening oral care rituals.
Schedule An Appointment Today
Professional dental procedures and tools have advanced significantly in the last few decades, but even they can only do so much for your oral health. The number one proactive prevention tool will always be you exercising good oral hygiene, which includes flossing.
Behind your own efforts, you’ll also need to ensure you schedule routine visits with a trusted, professional dental professional, such as those at Miracle Smile Dentistry in Coral Gables, Florida.
The Miracle Smile dentistry team provides optimal oral care and comfort in routine dentistry exams and procedures to dental implants, braces, and veneers. We are here to help you learn how to avoid dental problems in the future, identify potential and existing problems, and most efficiently correct existing dental issues.
Visit our website to learn more about our staff and services or schedule an appointment today. If you prefer, call and a member of our staff will assist you.