Dentists Want You To Floss

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Remember when you were growing up? Maybe you learned to brush your teeth by watching your dad and wanting to be just like him. Maybe you can recall thinking it was so cool that he could hold all of the foaming toothpaste in his mouth until the very end and spit it out all at the same time. Maybe you learned your oral health and hygiene habits from one parent or another. Maybe you can remember your mother nagging you to floss every night before you went to bed. Maybe you thought it was a huge waste of time and wondered what good flossing did anyway. If you managed to keep up your flossing habit over all these years, your teeth and gums will thank you.

Dentists across the country and around the world are always giving away two things when you leave their office: a brand new toothbrush with soft bristles and a brand new little container of minty floss. They want to encourage you to replace your toothbrush every three months and they want to you to use the floss so often that you have to replace it regularly as well. These gifts are not meant to sit in the console of your car for months on end. They are meant to remind you to take good care of your teeth and gums.

Regularly replacing your toothbrush seems like a good idea. Bristles easily wear out and no longer do their job as well as when they were new and pointy. Soft bristle brushes can wear out even faster than hard or firm brushes and often have to be replaced more regularly. Dentists will encourage you to use a softer bristle in order to preserve the health of your gums and prevent receding gum lines.

Dentists also want you to floss every day. They would even go so far as to recommend that you floss twice every day. Sounds crazy, but regular flossing is one of the best ways to promote your overall oral health and hygiene while minimizing the risk of gingivitis and periodontitis. Flossing between teeth clears out spaces that even the hardest bristles can't reach. Leaving food particles or bacteria in these small crevices can lead to cavities and inflammation. Flossing helps ensure that your mouth is truly clean.

Flossing may seem like a waste of time and may take a lot of time when you just begin. However, as you become more practiced, it will be like second nature and the routine will feel natural and normal. In the long run, your teeth and gums will thank you for the extra step that takes care of their health. Dentists will continue handing out little packets of minty dental floss in the hopes that their patients will actually use it. Make your next dental cleaning a little less painful by taking the time to floss every day between your six month visits.


About the Author:
When searching for Portland dentists residents want someone they can trust. For more information please visit http://www.angieslist.com/.



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