Some people think that flossing is just something extra to do for great oral health, but dentists around the world will always tell you to floss daily. It’s not a substitute for brushing, it’s actually a partner. There are many reasons why you should floss on a daily basis, and here are some of them:
It prevents bacteria
When brushing your teeth, you are mostly touching and cleaning the surface of your teeth. Though the bristles might be able to reach the in-between parts of your teeth, they are unable to properly reach them fully. This is where flossing comes in.
- The reason why people floss is to reach the spaces in between your teeth. Millions of bacteria and harmful microorganisms live in between your teeth. The only way to reach those parts well is to floss.
Flossing works because it prevents bacteria buildup and can remove leftover food debris in areas where your toothbrush won’t normally be able to reach. It disrupts the buildup of bacteria to prevent them from turning into plaque that could stain and turn your teeth bad if left unchecked.
Prevents tartar from building up
- The plaque will eventually build up in your teeth. Plaque is s substance that damages and turns your teeth yellow, it can even harden into tartar if left unchecked. If you want to remove plaque that builds up in between your teeth, you need to floss on a daily basis.
Can help freshen your breath up
- You might be wondering why your breath is bad at times, even after you brushed your teeth a few hours before. You might be dedicated when it comes to brushing your teeth, but you could still have bad breath if you don’t floss. While you may have cleaned and removed any excess bacteria on the surface of your teeth, there are still bacteria and leftover food debris trapped in between them. When they turn bad, they will also turn your breath bad.
You may have pearly white teeth but, at the end of the day, you’ll still have bad breath if you can’t remove the bacteria trapped in between your teeth.
It’s effective together with brushing
- Brushing alone is never enough. It should be in unison with flossing so that you’ll end up with better dental health. Brushing your teeth alone is like washing only the surface of your drinking glass without trying to clean the inside, which is likely to have more bacteria. In dental health, the bristles of your toothbrush have their limits. They can’t clean hard-to-reach places that only flossing can.
It can help prevent gum disease
- Plaque doesn’t just turn your teeth bad and unhealthy, plaque can also affect your gums as well. Neglecting to floss or to properly look after your teeth can lead to dangerous gum diseases that could cause your gums to inflame due to infection. This happens when the plaque eats away the ends of the gums that hold your teeth together. This may lead to your teeth falling out and can cause extreme decay in your overall dental health.
At Vitarelli Dental, we’re a dental office based in Madison NJ, get your checkup today!