20 Mar Floss or Else!
How many times do we hear from the dentist that we need to floss and brush twice a day? Every six months, right? And sure, we’re good at following that advice for a nanosecond and then we’re back to infrequent flossing or even skipping entirely. But why does the dentist tell us to floss – and not once, but twice a day?
So the last time you saw Dr. Marquis, did he or Melissa give you a lecture about your poor/nonexistent flossing? Like Every. Single. Visit. Right? Well, Doc is right to do so. Flossing does a super job – about 40% of the work – removing plaque, bacteria, and other gunk from between your teeth…a place that a toothbrush cannot get to.[1]To understand how floss works, you have to look at your tooth as having five different surfaces to clean. The top and the four sides, but two of those sides neighbor other teeth. Since your toothbrush cannot get into those spots, you end up leaving a ton of nasty bacteria that have a 24/7 party wrecking your teeth and giving you a horrible case of gingivitis.
So, you are now onboard for flossing! Hooray! You head to the store to buy some because you cannot remember where you threw the little bag Doc gave you with a new toothbrush and some sample floss. Of course, you are at the store and you did not realize that there were so many different types of floss! Which one do you get? That all depends on your teeth. If you have larger spaces between your teeth, you might want to get dental tape – it is flat and wide and helps with people who receding gums too. If you have teeth close together, thin floss that is shred resistant is a godsend. Follow the directions on the back of the floss package or pay attention when Melissa tells you how to do it!
Now, you are completely equipped to begin your twice daily flossing habit. Keep it up and Doc will be awestruck by your awesomeness and lack of plaque!
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[1] http://www.webmd.com/oral-health/features/still-not-flossing-more-reasons-why-you-should#1