So, I Heard I Don't Have to Floss Anymore

Recently, flossing has made the news.  The U.S. departments of Health and Human Services and Agriculture recently removed their recommendations on daily flossing, stating that there wasn't enough evidence to support flossing and prevention of dental diseases.  But your Dentist recommends flossing every day, so what gives?

Federal recommendations on daily flossing showed up in 1979 by the Surgeon General and made it part on the National Dietary Guidelines.  But when members of the Associated Press recently asked for more evidence on flossing and its reduction in dental diseases, there wasn't much. 

The few studies that were conducted concluded that there is some evidence that flossing regularly did reduce gingivitis, compared to brushing alone. But most trials were too short to conclusively say that flossing has an impact on tooth decay and gum disease.

So basically, there really aren’t any scientific trials or recorded studies stating flossing is good or bad for you.  Since no one has formally studied flossing, the U.S. department of Health and Human Services can't recommend for or against flossing your pearly whites. 

So yay! I don't have to floss anymore!

Not so fast.

All of us at Stadsklev Dental have seen what happens when patients don't floss.  If you look at plaque under a microscope it is very much alive, multiplying, gunking up the space between your teeth, causing bad breath and infection.  The longer that bacteria stays in your mouth the more adaptable and resilient it becomes.  This does not bode well for a person's mouth or their overall health.

So get it out of there!

We can show you the easy way to floss; it takes less than 20 seconds.

Or don't floss, I have a feeling we will be seeing more of each other.