The Importance of Flossing Daily  

You brush your teeth every day, hopefully twice a day.

Adding a daily mouthwash rinse to your oral care routine is also a great idea, and eating foods that contribute to good oral health is important too.

Finally, regular professional dental care is critical to avoiding disease and maintaining a robust dentition.

But even if you do all of this and don’t floss every day, much of your time, effort, and investment in dental health could go to waste.

The 5 Key Advantages of Daily Flossing

If you are not flossing each day, all of the daily oral care tasks mentioned above could still miss plaque, bacteria, and food debris hiding in the spaces between your teeth.

Further, as we age, the spaces between our teeth become more and more vulnerable.

The key benefit of regular flossing is the removal of food, bacteria, and plaque between the teeth. But the total real benefits produced by regularly removing these materials are numerous.

Let’s look at five of the key benefits of daily flossing as described by some of the dental hygiene care industry’s top experts.

Reduce Bad Breath

When bacteria break down food matter, it produces waste which in turn produces bad smells.

You may do a lot to protect your oral health, but if you aren’t flossing, decomposing food matter between your teeth will remain a prime target for odor-producing bacteria.

As we age, the hiding spots between our teeth grow larger, allowing more decomposing food material to hide there.

You’ll be surprised how much daily flossing will reduce bad breath.

Improve Cardiovascular Health

When our gums lose strength, they detach from our teeth and when sores in the mouth develop, these openings allow plaque and other materials to enter the bloodstream.

These plaques, bacteria, and food debris that enter the bloodstream can degrade our overall cardiovascular health.

Even worse, they can clog arteries in and around the heart. They can even attack the heart directly in some cases.

In recent years, good oral health has been recognized by medical professionals of all kinds to positively indicate better heart health.

Prevent Gum Disease

The early stage of gum disease is known as gingivitis.

Early signs of gingivitis include inflammation around the gums, and the spaces between teeth are the most likely location for this and similar signs to begin.

Another indicator of present or developing gingivitis is bleeding gums during and after brushing. Gingivitis needs professional care to be properly remedied. But it can be prevented by thorough oral hygiene and regular dentist checkups.

If not treated, gingivitis will develop into gum disease, which can be a severe detriment to your oral and overall good health.

Reduce the Risk of Developing Cavities

The most common places for cavities to develop are on the crowns of molars and in between teeth.

Good brushing can help prevent cavities on crowns, but only flossing can even hope to prevent the development of cavities between teeth.

Remove Hidden Plaque

Plaque is a formation of bacteria that is specially developed to adhere to teeth.

Plaque thrives on the gum line and in the spaces between teeth. It is highly resistant to attempts at removing it, which is part of the reason we must use various oral care techniques each day.

Of course, plaque between teeth can be especially challenging to remove, and only flossing has even a chance of doing the job.

During regular checkups, we can review the results of your flossing efforts and provide guidance on which spots need more attention.

By incorporating all of the tasks mentioned above with regular daily flossing, you can expect to enjoy excellent dental health for many years.