Ask the Dentist: Do Ireally need to floss?

T here was a b ig story in the news recently t hat flossing is n ot proven to be beneficial. I t is important t o dig a little deeper into h ow this claim c ome to pass.

It turns out that the problem is that there are no great s cientific studies with enough subjects to prove that flossing is necessary for excellent dental h ealth, so the federal government will not put out a statement recommending flossing in the absence of this solid scientific evidence.

Before you stop flossing or decide not to start, consider that dentists have been recommending flossing to their patients since the early 1900ʼs. Every d entist and hygienist that I know can vouch for the improved oral health in patients w ho floss regularly (regularity is the key), as opposed to those who donʼt.

I t only makes sense to clean around all sides of a tooth and in between teeth where plaque with bacteria and related t oxins reside and can cause damage including gum inflammation decay and bad breath.

T hink about how brushing teeth only cleans the outside exposed areas of teeth and it only makes sense to floss (properly and regularly). Just ask any dental health professional if they stopped flossing after this announcement came out.

For questions about this and other dental procedures contact Dr. Guller at askdrguller@aol.com or call (201) 391-5565.