No Oral Hygiene Routine is Complete Without Flossing

No matter how many times a day you brush your teeth, most dentists believe that no oral hygiene routine is complete if you don’t floss at least once daily. While brushing is important in removing food and bacteria from the surface of your teeth, you won’t be able to clean in between your teeth using a toothbrush alone. That’s why flossing is so important – it removes food particles from the hard-to-reach spaces between your teeth. If those particles aren’t removed, bacteria can form. Once bacteria forms, it can lead to both tooth decay and gum disease.

As it turns out, flossing isn’t a new idea. In fact, a dentist from New Orleans is credited with originally coming up with the idea in 1815, almost 200 years ago. At that early stage, dentists recommended that patients use thread to clean between their teeth. Later, in the mid-1800s, dental floss made of silk became commercially available. It wasn’t until around 1940 that dental floss manufacturers began using nylon instead of silk to do the job. Today, there are a variety of flossing products available. Ask your dentist or pharmacist for more information about different types of floss and related products.

Although experts have varying opinions about how often you should floss, nearly everyone agrees you should take your time when doing it. Make sure to work the floss back and forth between all your teeth to remove as many food particles as you possibly can. Most dentists recommend that you floss at least once a day, but once you begin to do it on a regular basis, you may find that you prefer to floss more often.

Source: https://www.humana.com/learning-center/health-and-wellbeing/healthy-living/benefits-of-using-dental-floss