People consider brushing their teeth as an essential oral hygiene step, but flossing as an additional, optional step. This means that flossing is not taken seriously enough. If that is the case, you’re missing out on some key oral health benefits.
Flossing is an essential key step as part of a strong oral routine, and it should not be considered optional, and there are some surprising benefits to flossing that you’re most likely not aware of.
Are you guilty of not flossing your teeth? Well, you’re missing out on the following benefits:
Reduces Plaque Build Up
Plaque is the first stage of tooth decay. Plaque is a sticky yellow pale substance that forms around the teeth, containing millions of harmful bacteria. The food debris that stays inside your mouth if you don’t floss your teeth is the trigger of its build-up. Sometimes, there may be stubborn areas inside the mouth that your bristle brush cannot reach. If the food remains stuck in those areas, plaque will begin to build up and may eventually become dangerous to your oral health.
Reduces Bad Breath
You will have tried different methods to get rid of bad breath, or bad odour, but if you’re wondering what the cause of bad breath is, its your food. Food debris stay inside the mouth will contain certain odours if you do not floss your teeth to remove them. Again, you’re introducing the possibility of plaque build up as well. To remove bad breath, floss your teeth and remove the food debris.
Reduces Gum Disease
Plaque is not only a trigger of tooth decay, but is also a trigger for gum disease. Gum disease is formally known as gingivitis, which refers to the inflammation of the gums. Plaque build up can erode at your enamel and build the next stage of gum disease called periodontal disease. Teeth will become fractured and weak, and the only way to stop this from occurring is flossing your teeth to keep your mouth clean.
Controls Diabetes
Surprisingly, there is a link between flossing and diabetes. Harmful bacteria, a trigger from plaque, can penetrate inside your bloodstream. This can destabilize your glucose levels and cause complications that may mean you’ll be diagnosed with diabetes. If you simply floss your teeth and keep your mouth clean from food debris, the chances of diabetes will be incredibly low.
Prevents Heart Diseases
You’ll know that flossing can cause gum disease and erode your enamel. When this happens, there is a gateway for food debris to penetrate itself inside the bloodstream to introduce heart compilcations whilst damaging your teeth in the process.
The pitfalls of not keeping your mouth clean from food debris are quite severe. You shouldn’t consider flossing as just an option, rather introduce it as an important step as part of your oral routine. Gums can become vulnerable, and you want to avoid this from happening because it’ll expose you to adverse health complications. Read here to learn the process of flossing to make it easier for you to start.
If you need oral health advice, contact our helpful dentist at Wollongong and Fairy Meadow dentist today. Dental care is worth smiling about, and we’re motivated to deliver healthy and happy smiles. If this is what you’re looking for, contact us now and book an appointment with us.
