What are the Benefits of Flossing? 5 Reasons to Floss Daily

You might think that thorough and regular brushing is enough to keep your teeth clean, but you can’t properly clean between teeth without flossing.

Your toothbrush is an important dental care tool. But floss is also necessary to complete your oral hygiene routine.

You may not see food particles between your teeth and along the gumline when you look in the mirror, but flossing achieves a healthier and cleaner smile.

Doesn’t it feel great to remove debris stuck on your teeth? Flossing helps you accomplish that more easily. Here are more benefits to daily flossing.

1. Prevents gum disease. Deposits along the gumline are hard to reach by brushing alone. They can accumulate quickly and irritate the gums. Gum inflammation is one of the early signs of gum disease. Untreated, gum disease can progress and cause the gums to recede and result in tooth loss. Flossing prevents this from happening.
2. Removes plaque. Plaque naturally collects on tooth surfaces. It’s a colourless, sticky bacteria-laden film that can be hard to see. Sugary and starchy food are the main plaque culprits. Harmful bacteria in plaque can produce enamel-eroding acids causing cavities. Flossing removes plaque build-up on teeth and reduces your risk of cavities.
3. Reduces tartar build-up. Plaque hardens into tartar and leads to inflamed gums which makes it harder to keep teeth clean. Flossing can help remove plaque and keep tartar from forming, especially on hard-to-reach areas. Once tartar has formed, the only way to remove it is by getting professional dental hygiene cleanings.
4. Freshens breath. An unclean mouth causes bad breath. Flossing helps. While flossing won’t address chronic bad breath or halitosis, it can prevent it from worsening. Causes of bad breath vary, but simple lifestyle changes can make a difference.
5. Boosts heart health. Can you believe that a simple activity such as flossing can protect you from cardio vascular disease? While the cause-and-effect relationship between gum disease and cardiovascular disease still requires further studies, research shows that those with poor oral health are at a higher risk of developing heart problems. This is also why people with heart conditions are advised to seek regular dental care treatments. And it’s not only the heart, gum problems are also linked to arthritis and mental illness.

Even if you don’t have existing medical conditions, flossing remains an important part of your oral hygiene routine.

If you skip flossing due to limited motor function, ask your dentist in Brandon, Manitoba, for recommendations. You may, for instance, try using dental picks.

Aside from daily brushing and flossing, don’t forget to keep up with your routine hygiene cleaning sand oral exams. Your dental team can help you boost your home care routine and prevent oral health problems.