Dental flossing – is it a lifestyle choice or a health choice?

It’s both. Everyone wants fresh breath and everyone wants healthy gums. And, with the meteoric rise of ‘The Selfie’ on social media everyone wants a gorgeous smile. Like most desirable things, these things come at a price. The price is a dedicated daily oral hygiene ritual aided by some regular professional support.

Fresh breath and healthy gums require the removal of food debris and plaque bacteria from tooth surfaces and gum margins. Tooth brushes are an essential part of the cleansing ritual, however, they don’t reach into the spaces between teeth and they alone are not enough to prevent bad breath and bleeding gums.

Bleeding gums and bad breath are early signs of gum disease which unsurprisingly starts in between teeth and is the main cause of tooth loss. Gum disease and tooth loss share links with general health making healthy gums an essential part of overall general good health.

Dental flossing is an effective way to remove food-debris and plaque bacteria from in between teeth; this reduces the likelihood of developing gum disease - making it an important health choice.

Dental flossing is not a skill one is born with, it has to be learnt. It used to be the dentist who would teach you how to do it. Nowadays, it’s the dental therapist, the dental hygienist or the dental oral health educators who explain its importance and show patients how it’s done. The doing of it requires you to make a conscious lifestyle choice and to set aside time. It’s usual for it to be done after the last meal of the day before going to bed – which makes perfect sense.