In recent news many people may have heard that there is questionable benefits regarding flossing your teeth. We here at Hastings Family Dental Care strongly believe that flossing your teeth and/or using an interdental cleaning tool is vital to a healthy mouth. Beware if any dentist tells you that you don’t need to floss. As dental professionals we care about your dental health as well as your overall physical health. Flossing at least once a day helps decrease bacteria that is harmful to your mouth and overall health.
If you only brush your teeth it is cleaning only the surfaces it touches. You need to floss to clean in between your teeth where your toothbrush can’t reach. If you don’t floss you are more likely to have plaque build up which could lead to tooth decay and gum disease. If gum disease is present and left untreated it could be a risk factor for heart disease, diabetes, as well as premature low birth weight babies in pregnancy. Leaving food debris and bacteria in between your teeth can also cause halitosis (bad breath).
If you floss slowly and correctly at least once a day you can increase your odds of avoiding higher dental bills that come along with dental decay and gum disease treatment. By flossing you can prevent gum disease and lower your risk for dental decay in between your teeth. If flossing is difficult for you, there are several interdental tools to choose from that will clean in between your teeth; you might want to try Soft Picks, Stim-u-Dents, Reach Flosser or a disposable pre-threader flosser.
For a healthier mouth and body let’s all strive to floss at least once a day or just floss the teeth you want to keep:)
