So What’s the Deal with Flossing?

Did you hear that report that came out in August of this year? The one where the Associate Press claimed the benefits of flossing were unproven? If you are like most of us, perhaps you flossed only when some weird thing was stuck, and you needed it out. And this AP article helped to assuage any lingering guilt about your non-flossing habits. But after all the ado died down, perhaps you’re left with questions, like, “Can we forgo it now entirely?”

Here is what we do know.

The Benefits of Flossing Were Never Researched

It played out like this: A member of the AP asked the departments of Health and Human Services for their evidence on the benefits of flossing. They were not given a direct answer to their question. But then this year when the government announced its health guidelines, it was noticed that flossing had been removed from that list. Later, the relevant government department acknowledged that flossing had not been researched. Which is a required step of government-recommended guidelines.

So what did the American Dental Association have to say? (This is the association that has, for years now, been telling us all to floss.) They continue to reaffirm the necessity of flossing. In so many words, they stated that flossing hasn’t been thoroughly researched because its benefits are based on logical deductions. And actually, their case makes sense.

Think of it like this:

1. If you have food stuck between your teeth, floss can remove that food.

2. If food stuck between your teeth is not removed, eventually this food will turn acidic and begin the process of tooth decay.

The result? Cavities.

But, of course, rather than trust what you read on the Internet, a wise and safe plan is to consult with your dentist. Dentists, such as those at National Dental, a dental service in the Long Island and New York area, can give you advice tailored to your needs.

So Should You Or Shouldn’t You Floss?

The short of it is yes, you need to be flossing. Call it something else if it makes you feel better, since so many people have negative associations with the term, floss. But that stuff between your teeth needs to get scraped out, and if not with conventional floss, with a water flosser, or some other cleaning device. Interdental brushes are also highly recommended and seem to be the latest oral health craze.

And as a refresher, in case some of us were not flossing to begin with, you can floss before or after brushing your teeth. The American Dental Association continues by stating that it doesn’t matter when so long as you do it. They also recommend establishing the flossing habit early on. So your kids should be getting in on the action, too. Children under the age of 10 are often not able to floss their own teeth, seeing as it requires quite a bit of dexterity. So parents should give their children a hand. Interdental brushes might be a good option for younger ones.

A note of caution: Be careful when you floss. Being too forceful can injure the gums between your teeth and cause inflammation. But a little bleeding is to be expected when you first start out. This will go away as your gums get used to the gentle cleaning.

So when all is said and done, the big deal about flossing, which was supposed to turn flossing on its head, in fact hasn’t changed much at all. We still need to get rid of that build up between our teeth. And many of us will still use floss to get rid of that. Although water flossers are steadily being touted as an easier alternative, one that is gentler on the gums. Maybe what we will get out of the all the fuss is the use of a different word for floss.