Life Tips Daily

While smoking is a well known bad habit, flossing is one that most don’t think too deeply about: if they floss, great, if not, the world won’t end, nor will they drop dead of some horrid disease…or so they think.

(Alright, alright: the chances of dying because you didn’t floss regularly are very very slim)

Why wouldn’t you floss? Well it’s a hassle! Flossing takes time and is not quick work if you do it correctly: wedging a fine piece of string between each and every tooth in your mouth, to scoop out anything that could have become trapped between your teeth is not a pleasant task. The floss can cut into your fingers because you must hold it taut in order to use it correctly. If you’re new to flossing, it can be a bloody experience (literally), which is unpleasant and might therefore be something you wish to avoid. This bleeding is not a bad sign: it just means your gums are inflamed because they aren’t used to the flossing. In time they become used to it and the bleeding stops.

My dentist (and yours too if I’m not mistaken) is adamant that flossing is important. The reasons she cites are:

• flossing improves the health of your gums, by reducing and removing from your mouth bacteria that could be potential causes of infection (brushing is also important for this bacteria reduction and removal)
• flossing does a better job of removing plaque from between your teeth than your toothbrush, and the two together work best. Plaque hardens into tartar, which you must go to the dentist to remove. Tartar is b-a-d.
• flossing allows you to get at almost anything that you feel between your teeth, and you may also get rid of small particles of food you didn’t even know you had stuck there. It adds an extra level of cleaning to your oral care.

Hopefully the above has encouraged you to at least give flossing a try. While my dentist recommends that you floss every time you brush, start by flossing once a day, at the end of the day. Once flossing is a well ingrained habit (like brushing!), make it a regular part of your daily routine and do it before or after brushing.

If you’re interested in learning more about the link between oral health and your general health, please give this short Health Canada report a read.

teeth, dental, dentist, oral health, floss, flossing