Benefits of Flossing
I went to the dentist last week, and was proud to announce (to my husband's annoyance) that I STILL have yet to have a cavity! 36 years old and cavity-free is something I'm proud of. HOWEVER, it was made known that my flossing habits are lacking....if existent at all. So, I thought i would research and share the benefits of flossing, for it is crucial in your overall dental health. Dental experts overwhelmingly agree that daily flossing is a critical, preventive step in reducing tooth decay and gum disease. Flossing removes plaque between teeth and below the gum line -- dislodging the pieces of food trapped between teeth which otherwise cannot be brushed or rinsed away. Plaque build up causes gum disease (gingivitis) which affects some two- thirds(1) of the U.S. population, while advanced-stage gum disease (periodontal disease) is the leading cause of tooth loss in American adults and affects between ten and fifteen percent of the U.S. population. One dentist I visited some time ago said that flossing is like exercising your gums. If you don't do it, they become weak and your teeth could loosen and fall out when you are older. The bacteria that like to live in your mouth are only distant relatives of the good bacteria that live in your digestive tract, helping to digest your food. Like their distant relatives, they attack food, but they also attack your soft tissues (gums) and bones of your mouth. Eventually, if you don't evict them, they will weaken the attachment of your teeth to your bone, and your teeth will loosen and fall out. This is the progress of what is commonly known as gum disease, more formally known as periodontal disease. So, I intend to make a concerted effort to floss regularly because I don't want to be a old lady with no teeth!