Flossing is an often-forgotten practice that many people do not include as part of their daily tooth brushing regime. Is flossing that important though? The Australian Dental Association says that “flossing should be an essential part of your oral care routine and never an optional extra.” But, why?
At TLC Dental, we often get asked for dental hygiene tips by our patients. We stress the importance of flossing daily as part of your dental care regime, because of the significant benefits that flossing offers.
Here are our top reasons why you should floss every day:
Flossing gets to where brushing can’t
There is no doubt that brushing your teeth well, is an extremely important part of any oral health care routine. However, brushing can only do so much and is only effective in cleaning the surfaces and sides of teeth as well as cleaning of the surfaces of the gums. Flossing is known as an interdental cleaner, which means that it is able to get into spaces and openings in between your teeth and gums that a toothbrush cannot.
Removes tartar and food
Again, because flossing can get to those ‘hard-to-reach’ places in your mouth that brushing can’t, floss is able to remove much more tartar and plaque build-up in between your teeth and in your gums that simple brushing can. It can also help to remove trapped food particles (think stubborn popcorn bits or mango fibres) that might sit in your gums and rot, possibly causing serious infection or disease later on.
Prevents gum infections and disease
The reason why gum diseases and infections such as gingivitis occur is due to the build-up of plaque, trapped rotting food, and poor oral hygiene. By flossing every day, you can inhibit the growth and build-up of plaque therefore significantly lowering your chances of developing gum disease.
Can increase your mouth health
It removes plaque and tartar build-up in between teeth, and dental specialists say that if you floss before you brush, you are then able to open up more space in between the teeth to allow the fluoride within toothpaste to move in to therefore protecting and strengthening your teeth more.
Interested in knowing the best way to floss? Check out the Australian Dental Associations tips on how to floss.
By flossing your teeth twice a day before you brush, you are significantly lowering your risk of gingivitis and other oral diseases and increasing your oral health at the same time.
For more information on flossing and other dental care information, contact TLC Dental today.
