What’s the one thing dentists always seem to tell us after examining our teeth? It’s something we’ve been taught to do since we learned how to brush our teeth, but for some reason, it’s often BRUSHED to the side.
Dangers when Avoiding Brushing
Flossing is as important to dental hygiene as brushing is. Many fail to realize that brushing only covers the surface of the teeth and does little to clean the gaps between your teeth. Flossing covers about 40% of your teeth that cannot be cleaned with just brushing. Not only that, the gaps between your teeth is where food and bacteria can reside. Food that is left between your teeth will eventually cause plaque buildup, which can lead to cavities and eventually turn into gum disease. In fact, if left untreated, gum disease can shorten life expectancy and can even cause irregularities to the circulatory system. Gum disease can also be a precursor to heart failure. It is believed that bacteria enters the bloodstream through the infected gums where they then attach to the fatty deposits in the heart’s blood vessels.
Why You Need to Floss
As you can see, there are plenty of dangers when choosing to skip over flossing in your daily routine. The gaps of the teeth can be one of the best places for plaque to accumulate. When plaque and saliva mix together, it hardens and turns into tartar. Flossing regularly is absolutely necessary when dealing with tartar buildup in between teeth.
When on the tooth, plaque will search for sugar for sustenance. Once in contact with sugar, the plaque begins to eat away at the tooth, eventually causing tooth decay. Only floss is able to get the plaque between your teeth, so aside from keeping sweets to a minimum, the most optimal way to avoid plaque from spreading and feasting on your teeth is to floss regularly.
Another reason floss is so important to a healthy dental life is that is can greatly improve one’s bad breath. When plaque resides in the teeth, it can begin to omit a foul odor. If left alone, the bad breath can become even worse when tooth decay and gum disease begin to set in. Flossing is the best way to fix bad breath if plaque is what’s causing the issue.
Contact Us
There are a plethora of reasons to start taking flossing more seriously. Fixing the issues of tooth decay can prove to financially burdensome so remember these points the next time you think you may not have enough time to floss before bed. Dr. Younes and his team are willing and ready to give you all the help you could possibly need when considering the future of your dental health. Contact our office today if you have any questions or concerns about the future of your dental health!
