Question: Does flossing really make a difference?

Answer: Oral health is one of those aspects of our daily lives that is frequently overlooked or downgraded in importance. For most people, brushing twice a day is more than enough to maintain total mouth care, even though this is regularly limited to a cursory, half asleep rub of the toothbrush first thing in the morning. If you’re looking to keep your whole mouth healthy and your breath fresh all the time, a little extra is what is called for, and flossing is one of the most important of those steps.

Reasons for Flossing Daily

Reading the health literature on the benefits of flossing, whether it is a simple WikiHow instruction page or a technical article in an academic journal, the one reason that everyone keeps coming back to for flossing is the simplest: toothbrushes cannot clean between teeth and below the gumline.  This means that if we do not use dental floss, we are effectively ignoring a good proportion of our teeth when we clean. There is no way that anyone would ignore one or two of their teeth every day when they brush and allow them to get unhealthy; but without the added care of flossing, that is exactly what we are doing.  

Short and Long Term Results

The benefits of flossing in the immediate short term are numerous. First off, our teeth will be healthier, so that will mean fewer trips to the dentist suffering from ailments like cavities, gingivitis, and gum disease. In turn, without tooth aches and pains, we can enjoy also the foods we like when we want them. Remember how cold drinks and ice cream don’t go well with sensitivity? Or hard foods with sore gums? Flossing helps make sure that that doesn’t happen, along with getting rid of the trapped food and plaque that can cause bad breath. Even mouthwash cannot do that.

In the longer term, the less tartar and plaque that are allowed to develop in the mouth, the less harmful bacteria there is also. In the past few years, studies have shown that harmful mouth bacteria can have an effect in other parts of the body also, not just the oral area. This can include bacteria travelling to the heart, increasing the chances of heart disease and blocked arteries, but there is also evidence showing a link between a poorly maintained mouth and diabetes and respiratory illness. If there is a history of any of these illnesses in your family, flossing might suddenly look a lot more important than it did previously.

What Can You Do?

The good news is that there are abundant options to get started and make up for lost time. All pharmacies carry a range (flavours etc.) of effective traditional flosses that are great value for money, and staff will only be too happy to help you find one that fits your needs. Aside from the standard roll style dental floss packs, there are also floss picks, which combine a length of dental floss with a tooth pick device on the end (handy if you’re someone who enjoys their steaks!).  Also, if you’re struggling to get the younger members of the family to floss, or even just looking for a change yourself, there are also special flossing wands, which are reusable and come in a range of fun colours and styles.

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John Keane is a full time pharmacist and owner of Keanes Pharmacy. Why not discuss this topic confidentially with John anytime in person at Keanes Pharmacy, Austin Friars or 0449342884 ©Keanes Pharmacy