You make sure to brush your teeth twice a day, so what’s the harm in skipping the floss now and then? True, taking a day off here and there isn’t likely to harm your smile. However, making a habit of forgoing the floss can have detrimental effects to your mouth and your health. It only takes a minute or two, but is time well spent. If you need more motivation, wait until you read the bad things that can happen when you don’t floss. Here you go!
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1. Doing It Right
Not only is it important to floss, but it’s also vital to do it right. That’s why I’m starting off this list with a quick tutorial. After all, there’s no point in doing the job if you can’t do it right. Experts recommend flossing before brushing because it removes all the junk between your teeth, which you can then brush away. That was news to me because I always thought it was better to brush, then floss.
2. Tooth Decay
Did you know that you can get cavities between your teeth, not just on the tops of them? When food gets stuck between your teeth, it gradually erodes away your enamel, leaving you with cavities. Brushing gets rid of some of it, but can’t do it all. You must floss between your teeth to pull stubborn stuff out of there and get your teeth completely clean.
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3. Gum Disease
Sure, cavities can be filled, but forgoing the floss can also lead to gum disease. That’s not so easy to treat. When you don’t floss, plaque builds up along your gum line and on your teeth. That can lead to gingivitis, which is the first stage of gum disease. Brushing and flossing are the best tools for battling the issue.
4. Bad Breath
Do you have friends and co-workers that would clue you in ff your breath stinks? People are reluctant to let you know when you have bad breath because they don’t want to hurt your feelings. That means you might be harboring stink and don’t even know it. Flossing daily can help cut down on the smell. If that’s not enough reason to break out the floss, I don’t know what is.
5. Preserve Your Teeth
With advances in dental science, you pretty much don’t have to go without a tooth if you can pay for a fake. I had to have a bridge placed due to damage to one of my teeth (not because I skip flossing, though!), and it is not cheap. If you let cavities and tooth decay go too long, you might have to have a tooth pulled. Save your teeth – floss every day!
6. Heart Disease
Did you know that poor tooth health can lead to heart disease? Scary, isn’t it? Your mouth can harbor bacteria that can get into your body and cause harm to your internal organs. Your heart is one of them. By flossing adequately, you can keep that junk from getting into your bloodstream.
7. Diabetes
Research shows that gum disease can exacerbate diabetes. When you have diabetes, your body is less able to fight off infections, including those in your mouth. That means that you can suffer from gum disease to a greater degree because you aren’t as able to battle it. The solution – floss!
Do you floss every day? After hearing and seeing what can happen when you don’t, I now make sure I floss every single night.
Comments
Zanna: Thank you for posting this very important information! As a dental professional, I can truly say that flossing is one of the best things you can do for your dental health. Toothbrush bristles are unable to clean the areas between the teeth and under the edge of the gums. Flossing is the only way to reach these areas. If you think flossing is silly, do this: run some floss between your molars( back teeth) and then smell it. It sounds gross, but it will smell bad if you don't floss on a regular basis. The smell is from the bacteria produced by rotting food particles trapped there. That bacteria produces the acid that breaks down enamel and allows tooth decay. That same bacteria irritates the connection between the gums and the bone which hold the teeth firmly in place. That irritation causes the bone and the gum tissue covering it to recede away from the tooth. That is gum disease. These issues can be ugly, painful and extremely expensive. Do floss! It's the best dental insurance available!
plazadental: I am agreeing with you. Flossing can help you in keep your teeth whitening. Regular flossing may also reduce gum disease and bad breath.
Love: EVERYONE needs to floss! Men and women alike!
Julianne: Only a few more weeks with braces! Then, I will floss
Thelma62913: I floss minimum twice a day. I don't feel complete unless I floss, brush and use mouthwash.
Emmybear: And simultaneously, diabetes can worsen existing periodontal disease if neither are kept under control
Kayy: Thank u xx
Misty: Yeah I feel gross if I don't floss. It's a must for me on a daily, sometimes twice a day
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