Why Does Everyone Hate Flossing?

Do you remember having your elementary school nurse come into the classroom and showing you the proper way to brush your teeth? When I was in school, the proper brushing technique was short strokes in a circular motion. Today, many dentists say to place your brush at a 45-degree angle and, “sweep or roll away from your gumline.” Basically, it’s the same idea expressed with different words. The school nurse also told us to floss every day. Now, we all know that brushing is important. It keeps your teeth from turning yellow and your breath from smelling bad. But what good does flossing do? Unless you have a piece of food stuck in your teeth, what is the point of flossing?

The Importance of Flossing

Flossing is the only way you are going to be able to clear your teeth of all the food debris that gets stuck in the crevices of your teeth. This is important because if you don’t clean that out, it will fuel plaque buildup, and that plaque will eventually turn into tartar. Tartar is hard, and you can’t get rid of it by simply brushing your teeth. You need to go to a dentist to get rid of tartar buildup.

What Happens When You Don’t Floss

When you don’t floss, especially if you fail to get the tartar removed at the dental office, you are putting your gums at risk. The tartar and plaque present in your mouth will begin to produce bacteria, and that bacteria begins to produce toxins, and those toxins begin to damage your gums. Your gums start to get red, and maybe a little sore. They will begin to bleed after you brush your teeth. You may think this is normal, but in reality, you are witnessing the beginning stages of periodontal disease. This early stage is called gingivitis and is the first red flag that you need to take notice of. Getting your gums back to healthy is a whole lot easier at this stage than it is if you wait until the real issues start to happen.

Going From One Stage to the Next

The first stage of gum disease, gingivitis, is your opportunity to undue the damage you have done to your gums by not recognizing the signs sooner. Dr. Rosenblatt can help you get rid of your gingivitis, and your gums will begin to recover. This is a good time to start flossing daily as well. Unfortunately, there are still some people who ignore these warnings and go on about their lives like nothing is wrong. They will eventually cross over from gingivitis to periodontitis. All periodontitis starts out as gingivitis, but gingivitis does not have to progress to periodontitis. Inaction and not seeing the warning signs for what they are can lead to full-blown periodontal disease.

Periodontal disease, or gum disease, is a terrible condition to have. In fact, it is the number one reason why adults in the U.S. lose their teeth. Gum disease is an infection that destroys the gum tissues in your mouth and causes your teeth to shift and possibly even fall out. Don’t be fooled by the milder symptoms of this disease. Take the time to go see Dr. Rosenblatt at our Boynton Beach, FL office to get your gum disease taken care of.

Dr. Rosenblatt can help treat your gum disease through scaling and root planing. Scaling is where he will remove the plaque and tartar from around and underneath your gumline. From there, he will smooth any rough spots on your gums. This will take away any area that bacteria likes to latch onto, and it also prepares the area for new gum growth. Your mouth can come back from moderate or advanced gum disease; it is just a lot easier if it doesn’t have to.

Flossing is Important

A recent study showed that only about 30% of people floss the way they should. That means 70% of the population is putting their teeth at risk and their gums in danger because they don’t practice proper dental hygiene. One of the reasons researchers say flossing numbers are so low is that people have not been told why flossing is important, or what flossing prevents. Well, you no longer have to wonder anymore.

Call us today at (561) 877-3802 to schedule your appointment. You can schedule your appointment online as well by using our convenient online form.