Do I really need to floss?

There was a big story in the news recently that flossing is not proven to be beneficial. It is important to dig a little deeper into how this claim come to pass. It turns out that the problem is that there are no great scientific studies with enough subjects to prove that flossing is necessary for excellent dental health, so the federal government will not put out a statement recommending flossing in the absence of this solid scientific evidence.

Before you stop flossing or decide not to start, consider that dentists have been recommending flossing to their patients since the early 1900’s. Every dentist and hygienist that I know can vouch for the improved oral health in patients who floss regularly (regularity is the key), as opposed to those who don’t. It only makes sense to clean around all sides of a tooth and in between teeth where plaque with bacteria and related toxins reside and can cause damage including gum inflammation decay and bad breath. Think about how brushing teeth only cleans the outside exposed areas of teeth and it only makes sense to floss (properly and regularly). Just ask any dental health professional if they stopped flossing after this announcement came out.