The Importance of Flossing
Flossing is an important part of an oral health care routine. Brushing alone will not keep your teeth and gums protected. With floss, you can remove food particles and plaque from between teeth better than with a toothbrush alone. Flossing your teeth every night can be a hard habit to develop, but it’s one that is worth the effort. It provides a number of benefits, from cleaner-feeling teeth to preventing cavities and avoiding tooth-loss. Additionally, flossing helps prevent gum disease, a condition that has the potential to affect blood glucose control and thus contribute to the progression of diabetes.
The three main steps in fighting gum disease are brushing, flossing, and seeing your dentist regularly. Brush at least twice a day and floss at least once a day. Daily flossing may be the single most important way to fight against plaque. However, by brushing AND flossing, we help to eliminate the bacteria which can lead to bad breath, gingivitis, and periodontal disease.
Good gum care will have long standing benefits throughout a person’s life. Therefore, paying special attention to this area is highly recommended. Good oral care is all about building up a positive set of habits and sticking to it over time. Flossing your teeth every day is important to help promote overall health, even for the healthiest people. So, always remember to floss!