Don’t believe all you read; what you can’t see is what’s written between the lines. The truth about this new phenomenon is the research wasn’t done well.
That, my friends, doesn’t mean flossing is worthless it just tells us that our data needs to be amped up!
We, as dental professionals, believe there is zero reason to NOT floss because oral health is now being linked to serious health problems such as diabetes, heart disease, and stroke.
The ADA news released this statement about flossing right after the news publication: “To maintain good oral health, the American Dental Association recommends brushing for two minutes, twice a day with a fluoride toothpaste, cleaning between teeth once a day with an interdental cleaner and regular dental visits advised by your dentist,” the ADA said in the statement, adding that interdental cleaners, including floss, “are an essential part of taking care of your teeth and gums.” (ADA Reacts to News Article on Flossing, Tarpley, August 2, 2016)
Dr. Christine Tenaglia, an accredited member of LVI mentions, “Floss the ones you want to keep! It’s true, the physical contact of the floss to the bacteria on the teeth is the most effective way to remove the bugs that want to eat holes in your teeth. If your schedule is busy like mine, try to set a goal to floss at least three times a week. I find that it helps a lot and it’s better than nothing!”.
So are you a guilt-ridden individual that has resented being told to floss? What’s your main reason? Is it really because some news article demonstrated false news (surprise, surprise) or is it because the act of flossing is time-consuming?
Is 2-3 minutes concentrating on your oral health really too much to ask?
Maybe you still don’t believe us, and you think flossing is a scam, try these three things at home:
- Brush your teeth
- Floss your teeth
- Look at your floss
If you have ANY residual plaque, that should encourage you to floss, even if only a few times a week.
Someone once said never plan a day to take off because life happens which can stop your plans in the first place. They were talking about working out, but this pertains very well to flossing too.
To sum this up, we as dental professionals believe that flossing attributes itself to your overall health and especially your oral health. We may not have substantial research to support our claim but we do have patients that sit in our chairs every day that we can see a difference in. We just ask you to take our word for it and put in some extra work. (Not even close to as much as your 9 to 5 asks you to do though!)
So, just floss! Just do it!