The Science of Flossing?
There has been a lot of talk about flossing not being backed up by science. You might have read several articles about inconclusive studies that didn’t find any marked benefit of flossing. The results should not come as a surprise because the methodology on each one can be easily questioned. Maybe the number of subjects were very few… or there wasn’t a control group.
In any case, dentists can tell with a look on your mouth if you are flossing or not just by checking your gums and the build up in hard to reach places for your toothbrush. Sure, maybe many people don’t know the right technique for flossing but is that just a reason to stop doing it? We need to think on the practical uses of flossing. How many times have you had food particles stuck on your gums that your brush can’t reach? The bacteria on your mouth will feed on those particles. That bacteria affect the gums and produce acid on the surface of your teeth. It can also affect the gums where crowns and dental implants are set, so you need to be extra-careful with those.
One of the biggest reasons there isn’t more extensive information available about flossing is very simple. As explained in this other article, the cost to conduct a rigorous study to produce such evidence would be prohibitive, beside the point that falls on a very ethical issue of asking a control group to not floss at all if they have food debris between their teeth… FOR YEARS. Doing so they would certainly put their dental and gum health in so much risk.
So… don’t give up on flossing! Remember to combine your nightly routine with mouthwash just to make extra sure you will take care of most bacteria. If you want to know more about what our affordable dental cleanings in Cancun Cosmetic Dentistry can do for you call toll free from USA and Canada 1-800-565-1424, or if you are already on vacation in Cancun and want to meet us, you can call us for an appointment at the following local number (998) 1-40-51-25.