What are the Benefits of Flossing?

When it comes to good at-home dental hygiene habits, you may be surprised that some people regard flossing after brushing as optional. Experts recommend brushing your teeth and tongue at least twice daily and flossing at least once daily. Flossing is an essential part of preventive dental care that will help you keep your mouth clean and healthy.

Generally, your mouth harbors numerous types of bacteria and other microorganisms. Even with thorough brushing, there’s still a risk of food particles and bacteria getting trapped between your teeth, increasing your risk of cavities and gum disease. High consumption of carbohydrates and sugary items such as soda, wine, bread, and sweets could increase your risk of bacteria overgrowth, eventually leading to cavities and gum disease.

Flossing helps remove food particles, debris, and bacteria between teeth, which are hard-to-reach areas where brushing cannot access. Removing these particles prevents them from building up and turning into plaque, a sticky yellowish deposit. If not eliminated, plaque hardens into tartar, a damaging substance that stains your teeth over time.

Benefits of Dental Flossing

There are many dental benefits of flossing teeth, including:

• Helps prevent bad breath

Halitosis is a common problem for not brushing and flossing your teeth. When food particles get trapped between teeth, they mix with bacteria and begin to decay, causing a foul-smelling breath. Similarly, they can cause cavities and gum disease, leading to further bad breath. Daily brushing and flossing help get rid of these harmful deposits and keep your breath fresh all day long.

• Boost your self-esteem and confidence

You’ll eliminate plaque and bacteria buildup in your mouth by flossing daily. If these particles sit between your teeth for long, they can cause bad breath, cavities, gum disease, and oral infections. Flossing keeps your teeth and mouth fresh and looking good. It can also have a positive impact on your self-confidence and quality of life.

• Prevent cavities and gum disease

When plaque forms in and around teeth, it releases harmful acids. If you don’t brush and floss, these acids form on the teeth, eroding the tooth’s enamel and causing gum inflammation. Over time, this leads to cavities, tooth decay, oral infections, and gum disease. These issues can lead to severe symptoms such as extreme toothache, abscesses, sensitivity, loose teeth, tooth loss, and bone loss.

• Protects your oral and overall well-being

As we’ve already seen, lack of flossing makes you vulnerable to various issues such as gum disease, cavities, and oral infections. These conditions can compromise your oral health. According to research, poor oral health can affect your overall well-being. For instance, poor oral health can worsen or increase your risk of developing health conditions such as autoimmune diseases, diabetes, heart problems, and respiratory illnesses.

• Avoids embarrassing moments

Imagine the embarrassment of someone pointing out a piece of lettuce stuck on your teeth. Or worse, realizing you’ve had food stuck in your teeth after a job interview or special dinner. Fortunately, you can prevent such embarrassing moments by flossing after eating. A handy tip is to carry a packet of floss when attending special events just to be on the safe side.

When and How Often Should you Floss?

According to the ADA, you should floss at least once daily. You can do it in the morning or at night after dinner. Generally, you should floss before brushing your teeth. Flossing will help loosen food particles around your teeth, making it easier to brush them off easily.

What to do Along With Flossing to Maintain Good Oral Health

Flossing is simply a part of healthy oral hygiene. For optimum oral health, you may want to consider the following:

• Brush your teeth and tongue twice daily.
• Get regular fluoride treatment.
• Apply dental sealants for children and teenagers at a higher risk of cavities.
• Use a soft-bristled brush. Replace it every three months.
• Avoid abrasive oral products.
• Brush or rinse your mouth after consuming anything apart from water.
• Eat healthier and hydrate well.
• Schedule regular dental exams and cleanings.

Final Verdict

As we’ve seen above, there many benefits of using dental floss for your oral, mental, and overall well-being. For more information on flossing and dental care, visit Mertz Family Dentistry in Longmont.