According to a survey conducted by medical practitioners at the CDC, only 30% of Americans floss daily; that’s less than 1 in 3 people. People give many excuses for not flossing and below, we discuss how true these claims are:
Flossing is hard and painful
Flossing is not supposed to be hard or painful. If it is, you are either not using the right type of floss or you are doing something wrong. If you have gum disease, you may find flossing a bit painful; consult a dentist and learn techniques to make things easier. A floss holder may help.
You only need to floss when something is stuck in your teeth
Flossing is very effective for dislodging food scraps from between the teeth, but it does more than that. Daily flossing is important because floss cleans up plaque from around the teeth. If plaque is allowed to build up, it may cause cavity and gum disease.
I can’t floss because my teeth are close together
If your teeth are close together, it may be harder to floss, but it’s definitely doable. Get polytetrafluoroethylene floss or waxed floss; they have slippery surfaces, making it easier to get between closely packed teeth. Also, the thinner the floss, the better.
Flossing causes my gums to bleed, I need to stop
If your gums bleed when you floss, there could be 2 reasons for that. One, you floss with too much intensity; relax a little. Secondly, you may have gum disease. Schedule a dental appointment immediately and get it checked out.
If you live/work around Houston, you may pay us a visit at Pearl Shine Dental. Our clinic is at 12220 Jones Rd Ste C, Houston. Call +1-281-477-7200 to make an appointment.