subject: The Importance Of Flossing [print this page] Everyone knows that it is best to brush and floss your teeth every morning and every night, and even sometimes after the noon meal. Even though it is best, how many people actually do it? Most people would admit to brushing their teeth most nights, but what about flossing? Flossing is an extra step and puts more distance between you and your pillow each night and it is usually forgotten about. It shouldn't be. Flossing is very important to the health of your teeth and gums, as well as a few other parts to your body you might not even be aware of.
Flossing and Your Health
Studies are now saying there is a link between your dental health and the rest of your health. Therefore, if your teeth and gums are unhealthy, then the rest of the systems in your body might be too. One correlation that is especially being studied is the one between people' gums and their heart. Plaque can build up in the mouth, on the gums, and around the teeth. Plaque can also build up in the arteries of your heart, causing heart disease, which can relate to a lot of other health issues.
People with a poor flossing routine can also or may also be at a higher risk level for a stroke, diabetes, certain cancers, chronic health conditions, and immune disorders. So, it seems that regular brushing might not be enough to keep you away from the doctor's office. You need to floss your teeth regularly too! Flossing can keep the plaque away from your teeth, but more importantly it will keep the bacteria from building up in your system. The bacteria is what is suspected to be causing all of the health issues, however, more studies are still being done to determine exactly what the link is.
How to Floss Your Teeth
Few people floss regularly. Why? For most of them, it is a time issue. They are exhausted from a long day at work and they just want to get into bed and go to sleep. With that in mind, they think they will floss tomorrow. And, then, the next day. Sometimes, it doesn't happen. It might be because of poor flossing habits as a child or it might be because they don't want to irritate the gums. The excuses can go on and on. For other people, they may not know how to floss properly, therefore they give it a half-hearted attempt and think it's good.
While any attempt is better than nothing, to be an effective flosser, you need to do a few things. The floss must be long enough so that you are not reusing portions of it on another part of your mouth. You always want clean floss between every tooth. Make sure you have a good stock of floss in your bathroom for your spouse, the kids, or whoever lives with you and needs to regularly brush their teeth.
Wrap the floss around two of your fingers, one from each hand. This will give you a better hold on it as you slide it between the gums. Pull it back and forth between each tooth. This action will loosen anything that is near or below the gum line that you didn't get out with brushing.
