Keep Flossing!

Recently, the Associated Press suggested that flossing your teeth wasn’t as necessary as your dentist may have implied. Reston Dental is here to implore you to PLEASE KEEP FLOSSING!

The truth is, the AP made this claim based on the fact that studies on the efficacy of flossing have been few, and the scope of existing studies have been limited; this means that it has not been PROVEN that flossing improves your dental health. The reason for this is that it is pretty much impossible for researchers to follow every subject home to ensure that, A – they are flossing at all, and B – they are doing so correctly. Still, the fact remains that the efficacy of flossing has not been DISPROVEN.

Not convinced? We know you want to simplify your life, but your Reston dentist would like to remind you of why you should still floss DAILY – no matter what the Associated Press says:

1. No matter how delicately we eat, we all get food stuck between our teeth. If you’ve ever had a popcorn kernel skin wedged between your gums and teeth, you know what we’re talking about. You can awkwardly try to scrape it out with your fingernail, hoping that no one sees you with your hand in your mouth. Or you can try a toothpick, only to remember that poking blindly around your gums with a tiny wooden skewer is uncomfortable, if not downright painful. The truth is that nothing gets that bad boy out like floss. If popcorn isn’t a dramatic enough example for you, then consider the uncomfortable look on the faces of your companions as you smile at them with a poppy seed, spinach piece, or apple peel between your teeth.
2. There isn’t a single person on this earth that isn’t concerned with odor (unless that person’s name rhymes with BATTHEW BCCONAUGHEY). The food and plaque that accumulate between your teeth will eventually lead to bad breath. Anyone who has flossed after going days without doing so can attest to the resulting odor on the floss and their fingers. To avoid offending others with your breath, not only do you need to brush at least twice a day, you need to floss daily, as well.
3. It may not be proven that flossing is directly linked to good dental health, but it is proven that it is linked to good overall health. One of the things that flossing helps to prevent is gum disease, which is linked to an increased risk of cardiovascular disease. Additionally, the Leisure World Cohort Study found that, in 5,611 adults that were followed for nearly a decade, those who didn’t floss had a 25%-29% increased risk of death. If you’re not concerned with having food between your teeth or having bad breath, then at least be concerned with sticking around for the people who love you.

The take-away here is that, contrary to what the AP might suggest, there are many reasons to continue flossing. And who does the AP think they are to suggest otherwise, The ADA?

If you have questions about flossing, bad breath, or Matthew McConaughey, call Reston Dentistry today. We can advise you not only on flossing techniques, but all of your other dental inquiries.