How many times has this happened to you? You’re sitting in the dentist’s chair and he or she asks if you’ve been flossing regularly. You immediately have an overwhelming sense of guilt at the fact that no, you haven’t been flossing regularly. Don’t feel too bad, in a 2008 study, the American Dental Association found that only 49% of Americans actually floss.
So why is flossing so important? Besides helping to prevent bad breath, I will discuss two major reasons that flossing is so important.
Gum disease, or Periodontal Disease, is the inflammation of the gums and bone, the structures supporting the teeth. One of the biggest causes of gum disease comes from food particles and bacteria getting stuck in the small spaces where your gums and teeth meet. When this plaque hardens it becomes tartar. Both plaque and tartar can lead to gingivitis, the first stage of gum disease. Gingivitis can progress to periodontitis, which is the loss of the structures supporting the teeth. Signs of gum disease include bleeding gums, mobile teeth & receding gums. Gum disease often leads to tooth loss. Flossing removes these bacteria and food particles and helps you to avoid gum disease.
Reduces Risk of Heart Disease and other Illnesses
Not many people realize this, but a healthy mouth means a healthy heart. Because it is in most cases the first point of entry many bacteria can enter into the body through the mouth. Among other factors, bacteria from the mouth can produce toxins that damage the lining of the arteries in your heart and lead to hardening of those arteries. Gum disease can also increase your risk of stroke, pre-term labor and low birth weight babies and respiratory disease. Flossing keeps your mouth as clean as possible which helps reduce the risk of heart disease.
So how do you know if you have gum disease? Besides noting if you have bleeding and or receding or painful gums, mobile teeth or bad breath, the best way to diagnose the disease is a simple exam by your dentist.
What do you do if you have periodontal disease? There are several treatments for the disease. The traditional treatments range from non-surgical “deep cleanings” to surgical resection, or cutting away of the diseased tissue. In the past 20 years, a revolutionary procedure has taken the periodontal community by storm. This procedure is called LANAP and treats periodontal disease with a very specialized laser, not by removing gum tissue and bone but by killing the bacteria that cause the disease and helping the body heal and rebuild the supporting structures. LANAP is performed under local anesthetic as if you were having a filling done. There is no cutting or suturing and patients experience very little discomfort after the treatment. You can get more information about LANAP at http://www.lanap.com/
Flossing can take one to two minutes, once a day and can make the difference between a lifetime of health or more visits to the dentist than you bargained for. Be proactive!
We have a saying in our office, “Floss only the teeth you want to keep”
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