Floss Your Way to Better Health

Perhaps you have heard your dentist tell you over and over that flossing is important to your dental health, but do you know why? Flossing is an essential component of your oral health care routine because it helps to remove damaging particles that become stuck between the teeth. Most people have no problem brushing their teeth on a regular basis, but flossing their teeth just once a day is often a task that they tend to put off.  However, what you may not understand is that flossing your teeth is actually more important than brushing your teeth and there are many benefits of daily flossing.

Floss is an “interdental cleaner” that is specifically designed to clean the spaces between the teeth where toothbrush bristles cannot reach. Floss also reaches right at the gum line to remove plaque and tartar from the base of the teeth. Plaque is made up of bacteria that thrive off of the foods that you eat. Tartar is just hardened plaque that has not been removed by flossing. Because plaque and tartar are made up of millions of bacteria, they can quickly cause significant damage to your oral – and overall – health.

It is important to remember that your gum tissues are living tissues. As with all other living tissues inside your body, your gums are directly connected to your body’s blood supply. This means that any infection inside your mouth can easily travel to other places inside your body through your blood stream. Those with gingivitis, periodontal disease, and diabetes need to take extra care to protect their oral health so that greater infections do not occur within their bodies.

By choosing to floss your teeth on a daily basis, you can help promote better health for your entire body. The state of your mouth is often the state of your overall health. By keeping your mouth healthy with regular flossing, brushing, and dental visits you are helping to protect yourself from infections and disease. Flossing does a lot more than “just” cleaning your teeth. You can floss your way to better health – so start today! Call Dr. Mitul Patel at Family & Cosmetic Dental Care with any questions or if need a lesson on proper flossing techniques.

Posted by Mitul Patel DDS, Family & Cosmetic Dental Care
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