Keeping a healthy mouth has always been a two-step process involving both brushing and flossing; however, one out of ten people openly admit that they never floss at all. Think of it like this: no one ever gets into the shower with the intent to only wash 65 percent of his or her body, but that is exactly the same percentage of your teeth that get cleaned by brushing alone. The other 35 percent, the places in-between your teeth and under the gum line, can only be reached by flossing.
The American Dental Association (ADA) recommends that you not only brush twice per day with ADA-acceptable fluoride toothpaste, but that you also floss your teeth daily.
Yet dentists still hear many various excuses from their patients as to why they continue to avoid this ever-so-important step in oral hygiene. What a lot of these patients do not understand is that the benefits of flossing go way beyond just oral health issues such as the reduction of plaque, tartar, and bad breath. Studies have shown that flossing on a daily basis might actually save your life!
When you floss, your gums are less likely to become inflamed, and inflamed gums indicate a chronic bacterial infection in your mouth. The bacteria in the mouth can find its way into your bloodstream, attach to your arteries, and therefore create inflammation that leads to plaque buildup and the narrowing of arteries. This in turn makes your heart work harder to pump blood throughout your body, and can eventual lead to cardiovascular diseases, such as a heart attack and stroke, that may shorten or even end your life.
As you can see, the mouth is not independent from the rest of the body, and when it comes to cardiovascular disease – the number one killer of Americans, skipping a daily flossing of your teeth is overall just a bad decision to make for not only your oral health, but your cardiovascular health as well.
If you think that your gums are at risk, the following are some warning signs that will need to be checked out by a dentist: bleeding, bad breath, abscesses, receding gums, pockets and loose or separating teeth. If you experience any of these signs, do not hesitate and make an appointment today for a complimentary consultation with Dr. Andrew Hall, an implant dentist in Colorado Springs.
