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If you’ve seen the dentist lately, you may know they urge patients to floss every day, but in your mind you may think it isn’t actually a big deal. The truth is that this small habit can have a stronger impact than you imagine! Brushing only cleans about 60 percent of the surfaces of your teeth because the other portion lies in the spaces between teeth, where your toothbrush can’t access them. In other words, brushing alone isn’t enough.
Do you need more reasons to floss every day? Keep reading to get more!
Flossing Doesn’t Take Long.
Many who don’t floss claim they don’t have time or can’t remember to floss, but these excuses fall flat quickly. This habit takes only a couple of minutes every day. If your schedule is too jam packed to include flossing, you are overloaded! To remind yourself, put sticky notes on your bathroom mirror, alerts on your phone, or use another system that helps you remember to take these few minutes to keep your teeth and gums strong.
Flossing Can Make Cleanings Faster and Better.
Perhaps you dread going to your semi-annual dental visit because of the cleaning portion. Maybe it feels like you’re there for a long time. If you floss every day, your hygienist will have significantly less hardened plaque to remove. In fact, they may spend minimal time on that portion and get straight to polishing your pearly whites. Flossing can make you look forward to getting a clean bill of health and squeaky, brilliant teeth.
Flossing Prevents Gum Inflammation and Recession.
When plaque gathers and hardens near the gumline, the bacteria contact your gum tissue, which gets irritated. This first stage of gum disease results in red, puffy gums that bleed easily when they are touched or brushed. Over time, if plaque isn’t removed, the bacteria attack the connective tissue between teeth and gums. The tissue then pulls back from teeth, creating pockets where more plaque can hide. In addition to making the infection worse, recession leaves teeth looking larger than they should be and your gums looking obviously unhealthy. Flossing every day can keep your gums looking pink, firm, and exactly where they need to be.
Flossing Helps to Control Harmful Bacteria.
Many recent studies have found interesting results when it comes to the primary bacteria responsible for gum disease. In fact, a strong connection has been identified between gum disease and heart disease, Alzheimer’s, kidney disease, and even certain kinds of cancer. However, when you floss daily, you cut off the bacteria’s access to your gums as well as ways to travel throughout the body. As a result, you may lower your risk of these serious medical conditions by avoiding gum disease and keeping your teeth and gums more thoroughly clean.
Although flossing may seem superfluous, your dentist highly encourages you to do it every day for these important reasons. Take a few minutes to take care of your teeth and gums, and they will continue to take care of you!
About the Practice
Lancaster Family Smiles is proud to have two dentists with fascinating backgrounds and certifications in the field. Dr. Sam Je and Dr. Julie Jeong have studied vast specialties and areas of dentistry to provide a comprehensive menu of services, including gum disease treatment and even down to basic and routine checkups and cleanings. In spite of their advanced training and skills, they encourage their patients to prevent problems as much as possible through daily brushing and flossing and regular visits with them. If you would like to schedule one with us, reach out to us online or call our Lancaster dental office at 469-729-7707.