What Are the Benefits of Flossing?
Your dental hygiene depends on various factors, and flossing is essential. When you skip flossing your teeth, plaque buildup accumulates between your teeth and the gumline. With time it increases your risks of tooth decay and gum disease.
The American Dental Association states that interdental cleaners like floss play a crucial role in removing plaque and debris from areas of your mouth, challenging for toothbrushes to reach.
Learn more about the vital benefits of flossing and how often you must floss from this article. If you are searching for alternatives to floss for interdental cleaning, we have some suggestions in this post.
The Benefits of Flossing
You feel good when you successfully remove a lingering piece of popcorn or some excess spinach from between your teeth. However, flossing has several benefits besides helping your teeth and gums appear good. Let us look at some benefits in detail.
- Helps Get Rid of Plaque Buildup
Plaque is colorless but a sticky film that accumulates around and between your teeth besides your gumline. Plaque is invisible to the naked eye but isn’t something you want to have in your mouth for too long.
Plaque formation happens when your mouth bacteria mix with sugary and starchy foods and beverages. The bacteria deposit toxins to break down carbohydrates. When you don’t brush your teeth, a combination of bacteria, acids, and carbohydrates forms a film of plaque on your teeth and around the gumline. In addition, the bacteria release acids to attack your tooth enamel. When you don’t remove the acids, it leads to cavities.
Left on your teeth without removing plaque, as suggested by the Ohio dentist, plaque hardens into tartar within 48 hours to increase your risk of gum disease. Flossing at least once a day helps remove food particles around your teeth and plaque between them.
- Reduces Cavity Risks
Tooth decay results in cavities causing tiny holes in the strong outer surface of your teeth, the enamel. Cavities do not develop overnight and require time, but if plaque accumulates on your teeth, your risks of developing cavities increase. Therefore flossing between your teeth at least once a day, regardless of the time, helps eliminate hidden food particles and plaque buildup to reduce your risk of tooth decay.
- Preventive Measure against Gum Disease
The early stage of gum disease is gingivitis. Inflammation around your gums is one of the first signs of gingivitis. When left untreated, gingivitis can progress to a severe infection called periodontitis. Periodontitis causes your gums to recede or pull away from your teeth. If you leave periodontitis untreated, your teeth lose bone support.
The dentist near you suggests that you brush twice a day and floss at least once to reduce your risk of gum disease. Professional cleanings performed by the dentist every six months also help keep your gums healthy.
- Prevents Bad Breath
A common problem affecting many people is halitosis, also called bad breath. Fortunately, flossing is a tool you can use to keep bad breath at bay. Food particles trapped between your teeth gradually decay, and when left unremoved, they can cause lousy-smelling breath. Furthermore, when plaque builds up between your teeth to cause enamel erosion, it eventually results in cavities and gum disease, contributing to lousy breath.
- Benefits for Your Cardiovascular Health
Maintaining excellent dental hygiene is not beneficial only for your teeth and gums. It can also benefit your cardiovascular health. For example, many participants of a 2019 study maintaining a high standard of dental hygiene had decreased risks of atrial fibrillation and heart failure.
The American Dental Association confirms a connection between oral health and heart health might have an association between the health of your mouth and your overall health. However, flossing your teeth is a straightforward and low-cost remedy to boost your oral hygiene besides your overall health.
When you visit your dentist for dental exams and cleanings near you, the professional recommends you brush your teeth twice a day for two minutes each and floss them at least once. You can floss in the morning or when getting into bed at night. Flossing your teeth before brushing them is recommended by dentists to loosen food particles and plaque around your teeth. After that, the brushing action helps remove plaque and food particles loosened from your teeth and your gumline.
If you aren’t aware of the benefits of flossing and need help from a dental professional kindly schedule an appointment with daily Dental & BracesBar today to learn more about this excellent tool that helps prevent many complications.