Many dental patients skip their daily flossing, but Ridgetop Dental Group wants to urge you to floss every day. Our Northern VA dental office sees patients of all ages who deal with the effects of skipping flossing. While you may not enjoy flossing every day, there are many reasons why we always urge our patients to do it. Here are our top 6 reasons to floss every day.
1. Prevent Bad Breath
When bacteria is allowed to build up between teeth, the acids they produce causes bad breath. Removing the bacteria and leftover food particles from between teeth will prevent bad breath and preserve gum health.
2. Remove Cavity-Causing Bacteria Between Teeth
Did you know that over 500 different bacteria species live in the mouth? Most of these are harmless, but many of them cause cavities. Bacteria that live in between your teeth can cause cavities there, which puts your oral health at risk.
3. Reduce Risk of Gum Disease
Bacteria cause cavities, but they can also cause gum disease. What starts out as a little bleeding can turn into severe decay and tooth loss without you even noticing other symptoms. Regularly removing plaque from between teeth is a critical step in keeping gum disease from progressing.
4. Lower Risk of Health Problems
Gum disease can also negatively affect your health in serious ways. New studies are finding links between gum disease and Alzheimer’s disease, and it has already been established that it’s linked to low birth weight in babies and cardiovascular problems. The best way to prevent gum disease is through regular brushing and flossing.
5. Brushing Doesn’t Remove Everything
While brushing is important to your oral health, almost half of the plaque that needs to be removed cannot be removed by brushing alone. Around 40% of plaque is actually between teeth and cannot be removed by brushing. Flossing, or some other form of interdental cleaning, is the only way to remove plaque from between teeth.
6. Flossing Saves You Money
By preventing gum disease, cavities, and bad breath, flossing can help save you money by preventing you from needing complex, uncomfortable, and expensive dental procedures. The easiest, cheapest way to prevent oral health problems is with a toothbrush and some dental floss.
Family Dentist in Northern VA
Ridgetop Dental Group offers patients affordable, compassionate dental care in a professional and welcoming environment. To schedule an appointment with our office, call us or request your appointment online today!