There are several things you need to do to improve your oral health. Daily flossing is one of the best things you can do to reduce your risk of tooth decay and gum disease. Taking the time to floss, cleaning around the tight spaces between the teeth, may be one of the most important means of protecting your oral health. Small bits of food and tarter become trapped in these small spaces. This can make it challenging to manage problems with cavities between the teeth. A daily habit of flossing will not only reduce your risk of cavities and gum disease, but heart disease as well.
Removing Food and Bacteria
While you may do a great job of brushing your teeth daily, it is not enough. The American Dental Association recommends combining daily brushing with flossing to reduce the amount of bacteria in the mouth. A simple toothbrush is unable to reach between the teeth to remove plaque and bacteria. A toothbrush has another limitation: it cannot reach under the gums to remove plaque. Flossing will allow you to reach gently under the gums to remove the bacteria that leads to tooth decay and gum disease. Floss before you start to brush as this will loosen the bacteria, making it easier for the toothbrush to remove it from the mouth. The fluoride in toothpaste will then focus on repairing the enamel and will help the gums to remain healthy.
Reducing Bad Breath
Bacteria not only causes plaque to form, causing tooth decay and gum disease, it causes bad breath. Failure to floss your teeth will cause an excessive build-up of food particles between the teeth. As they become trapped, they combine with the bacteria and plaque. They will begin to infect the gums, leading to a nasty smell. This bad breath is a direct result of bacteria that could be removed with a simple flossing. If tarter is allowed to build up on the teeth, a dentist will need to use special tools to scrape it from the teeth. The tarter will cause bad breath problems that can be embarrassing, as there is nothing you can do to manage it until a dentist can properly treat it.
Preventing Other Diseases
There are several research studies suggesting a link between heart disease and flossing. The bacteria in the mouth will cause damage to other organs in the body. Diabetes, heart disease, stokes, and respiratory illnesses are closely linked to the bacteria in the mouth. Since heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States, it is important to do all that you can to reduce this risk. Daily flossing is just additional thing you can do to reduce your risk for this serious disease.
Save Money
If you are able to control the bacteria in the mouth, you can limit your risk of gum disease and tooth decay. Reducing your risk of both items can save you a lot of money. A simple cavity can turn into an on-going problem for some dental patients. Failure to treat the problem in an early stage of formation will lead to painful cavities that are harder to treat. This can cause a patient to end up with expensive dental procedures like root canals, crowns, extractions, and dental implants. Taking a minute to floss can prevent these serious oral health risks, saving you a lot of money.
