A burst of activity in the news and social media followed a report that the importance of flossing your teeth daily hasn’t been proven by research. Well, you can decide for yourself whether or not you should continue (or even start) flossing, but let me say that common sense should tell you that a proper oral hygiene regimen of twice-daily brushing and flossing is good for your teeth.
Some of the new stories cited that there isn’t enough research to show the benefits of flossing. Well, I’d like to say that before I’m convinced that proper flossing doesn’t help with your oral health, someone needs to do detailed research and present THOSE findings for medical professionals to examine.
What studies continue to show is a large number of adults in both the United States and across the world with periodontal disease. I’ve written about this before on this blog and periodontal disease shows its highest percentage in older people. Periodontal disease ultimately leads to bone loss and therefore the loss of teeth.
While brush and flossing are not a guarantee you’ll never have a dental issue, I’d say it would be foolish of anyone to stop flossing because of these news reports. As a matter of fact, I and my staff encourage patients to make SURE that they do floss daily.
Remember, there’s an old dental adage that reminds us of the importance of brushing (no, it doesn’t include flossing, but should): “Brush only the teeth you wish to keep.”
