The dreaded question from the hygienist: "Are you flossing???"
You think to yourself if I say "Yes" will they know I'm lying? The answer is "Yes, Yes we do!"
So what's the big deal why do you need to floss?
A very common misconception about flossing is that because
it can often times cause the gums to bleed, and become sensitive, many
people want to simply avoid it. Doing so can actually increase the
severity of gum disease. When the gums bleed, nine times out of ten,
it’s as a result of bacterial infection present; gingivitis. Give yourself 3 weeks of flossing every night and you'll see a big decrease in bleeding and sensitivity after flossing!
Some Facts for you:
1. Within seven minutes of eating or
drinking anything, tiny bacteria from the food/drink particles
aggregate together and begin to form a sticky film all over the oral
cavity.
2. Within an hour or so that microscopic layer of bacteria
begins to form plaque.
3. As plaque sits on the enamel and gum tissue it begins to mineralize, or
harden. If left long enough, it can actually become as solid as a rock.
This new formation is termed tartar or calculus,
4. Brushing and flossing do
an excellent job at removing plaque ("sticky film") from your teeth and gums BUT the bristles of the toothbrush and the
material composition of the floss are NOT strong enough to remove
calculus (hardened plaque).
5. Your dental hygienists’ instruments
have blades and cutting surfaces, which are specifically designed to
remove calculus (hardened plaque).
6. Flossing will remove the plaque from between your teeth which mean less calculus for the hygienist to remove!!!! YEAH!!! Everyone's happy now!
Still don't want to floss.....
Ok try this! FLOSS YOUR TEETH BEFORE YOU BRUSH!!!
Why? Because lets face it after we brush (for 2 mins!) our teeth feel CLEAN, who is going to floss if their mouth feels clean???? So floss then brush then you'll be going to bed with CLEAN teeth!!!
So to answer the question "Do I really need to floss?" I would say "Only the ones you want to keep!"
So if you want clean teeth and healthy gums give us a call at (804) 288-8200 and we'll get you scheduled or you can always check us out online www.BaicyDental.com, see you soon!
