San Francisco and Marin CA
You’ve probably been told by your dentist or dental hygienist that you should floss daily, although as much as 20% of Americans never floss their teeth. Flossing is an essential part of maintaining fresh breath and healthy teeth and gums, yet why do so few people floss their teeth? Perhaps it seems like a daunting task at the end of a long day. Maybe you just don’t think about it because it wasn’t a habit you developed early in life. Regardless, flossing is the only way to clean between your teeth and skipping this part of your daily oral hygiene routine could mean a greater chance of developing gum disease (which leads to tooth loss when left untreated). Today on the blog, our family dentists at Glen Park Dental share four reasons you should floss your teeth every day.
Flossing helps prevent gum disease
Brushing your teeth twice a day helps keep your oral health in check, although your toothbrush simply cannot clean the area between your teeth known as interproximal areas. Food particles, residual sugars, and bacteria lurk in interproximal areas and if not mechanically removed by flossing, gum disease develops, causing bleeding gums, and jawbone loss that results in loose teeth or tooth loss. Thankfully, something as simple as flossing your teeth once a day can prevent this oral disease and help keep your teeth and gums healthy.
Flossing helps improve your breath
If you only clean two-thirds of the surfaces of your teeth and ignore the other one-third (interproximal areas) by never flossing, your teeth are harboring a lot of bacteria and buildup that results in foul smelling breath. Additionally, as gum disease develops, pockets form along the gumline which trap even more bacteria. This is why someone with gum disease often has chronic bad breath no matter how frequently they brush their teeth. Food can also be trapped in the gum pockets as the bacteria decomposes it, causing a rotten smell.
Flossing helps reduce the risk of cavities
If you’re brushing your teeth twice a day, that’s a fantastic way to decrease the risk of cavities on the visible surfaces of your teeth. But if you’re not flossing once a day, you’re leaving gunk between your teeth that could increase your risk of cavities developing in these unseen areas. By skipping the floss, you miss cleaning one-third of the surfaces of your teeth, and you’d never shower and neglect one-third of your body or change only part of the old oil in your car. The same line of thought should be applied to your oral health. Skip the floss and your mouth is still dirty!
Flossing helps prevent other diseases
Gum disease is directly related to poor oral hygiene. Clinically referred to as periodontitis, this chronic inflammatory condition results in increased inflammatory markers in your blood, meaning your body is constantly fighting an infection. As a result, the risk of arthritis, heart disease, diabetes, and low birth weight in babies increases. So, neglecting your mouth goes far beyond your mouth as it could impact your overall health as well.
Family Dentists in Marion and the Bay Area, California
Help protect your oral health and your overall health by flossing daily, ideally after your last meal of the day or before bed. It’s a simple task that takes a minute or two to complete yet boosts many health benefits beyond your smile. Learn more ways to protect your oral health or schedule an appointment with our Bay Area dentists at Glen Park Dental by calling (415) 585-1500.
