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I Hate Flossing. Should I Do It Anyway?

Posted on 5/15/2024 by Dr. Christianne Lee

Let us face facts: Most people hate to floss. The majority of American adults brush their teeth at least once per day, but less than half of all American adults floss daily. People say that flossing is messy, annoying, and time-consuming. However, flossing is one of the best ways imaginable to guard against tooth and gum issues. Here is some information on the importance of flossing.

Why Do We Floss?

Most of your teeth are wonderfully smooth, but they are also close together. Food can become trapped in between your teeth, and it can be difficult to clean out the areas between your teeth by brushing alone. Trapped food attracts all kinds of bacteria to the area between your teeth, which means both tartar and plaque can form there. While you can easily brush plaque away, you cannot do the same thing with tartar. Once plaque hardens into tartar, the only way you can remove it is by having a dental hygienist remove the tartar using dental tools. When you floss, you remove the leftover plaque and food particles, which reduces the potential for bacteria to target that area of your mouth.

Why Should I Floss?

Cleaning your teeth twice daily is the primary way to lessen the chances of getting cavities or periodontal disease. In fact, flossing is so important because both periodontal disease and tooth decay can hide in those spaces between your teeth. If a cavity occurs in those in-between places, it will be difficult for you to see it - until the cavity has progressed and done a lot of damage.

Flossing also rids your gums of the bacteria sitting on top of them. Gum disease is just as bad as tooth decay, and in some ways, it is even worse because once it progresses, it cannot be cured; it is only treated. If you are worried about the state of your gums, we can help. We can even offer you suggestions about how to floss quickly and effectively. Why not give us a call today and let us make you an appointment with our dentist?

Dr. Christianne Lee

5394 Walnut Ave Suite E
Irvine, California 92604-2505

(949) 656-2933

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