A few months ago a study was released questioning the
efficacy of flossing your teeth. Because of this, many people began to think
that ‘science’ doesn’t support flossing. However, the Department of Health and Human services, the American Dental
Association, and others have “reaffirmed the importance of interdental
cleaning.” So what is the truth behind all of this?
A periodontist is a specialist of
the gums and bone surrounding the teeth. When it comes down to it, they are the
authority in how to take care of the gums. Their group still strongly supports
the importance of flossing and cleaning between the teeth. A toothbrush is
absolutely essential in cleaning your teeth and gums every day, but it cannot
access all of the areas in between the teeth. And even though there are plenty
of studies that support the use of floss and interdental cleaning, many
dentists and periodontists say the reason they support flossing is because of
what they see in their offices every day. Flossing improves the health of their
patient’s gums.
Traditional flossing isn’t the only
way you can clean in between your teeth. Even though I believe it should be a
part of every person’s home care, there are other tools to clean in between the
teeth. For people that have larger gaps between their teeth, gum recession, or
dental bridges, the use of ‘soft picks’ can be helpful. These tools look like
rubberized tooth picks with small rubber barbs to help clean the gum tissue.
And there is a product called Super-Floss that is effective for cleaning under
bridges. It is a much thicker type of floss that can remove more food and
debris than traditional floss.
The bottom line is you should floss
every day. The improvement in the health of your gums will be worth the extra
couple of minutes it may take you. And if you stop to see what has been hiding
in between your teeth all day, it will be extra motivation!
For
more information, visit www.dentistwestchester.com.
Lee
T. Brown, DDS
Brown
and Kupper, DDS
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