{"id":793,"date":"2017-03-24T15:09:40","date_gmt":"2017-03-24T20:09:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.lrfamilydentalcare.com\/?p=793"},"modified":"2020-05-18T16:00:02","modified_gmt":"2020-05-18T16:00:02","slug":"is-flossing-effective","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.lrfamilydentalcare.com\/blog\/is-flossing-effective\/","title":{"rendered":"Is Flossing Effective?"},"content":{"rendered":"

For years and years, we and other dentists have been drilling into not only your teeth, but your heads, that flossing is one of the most important steps of your morning or nightly routines. That flossing is crucial in the prevention of gingivitis and gum disease. That if you don\u2019t floss every single day of your life, all of your teeth will fall out by the age of 30!!! Whatever you heard, one thing was certain: flossing was just as important as brushing your teeth\u2026 which might not be as true as we once believed. <\/span><\/p>\n

You may have heard about all the hubbub late last year: flossing might be ineffective. It started out when the Departments of Agriculture and Health and Human Services did not mention flossing in one of their <\/span>reports<\/span><\/a> on dietary guidelines for Americans. A short time after that, the Associated Press released an article called, \u201c<\/span>Medical benefits of dental floss unproven<\/span><\/a>\u201d in which it suggested that there is only weak evidence for flossing\u2019s effectiveness. <\/span><\/p>\n

The article called attention to the fact that all of the evidence that people have been basing their beliefs on used outdated methods and tested on too few people for a only a short amount of time. Basically, the AP cracked open a case that was thought to be tightly sealed for generations. The phrase \u201cDon\u2019t forget to floss!\u201d has been so ingrained in the dentistry vernacular that it has become the punchline of several jokes in movies and TV shows. <\/span><\/p>\n

So what now? Do you just give up flossing?<\/span><\/p>\n

…Well, not to sound like a cheesy joke, but we still say, \u201cDon\u2019t forget to floss!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

These reports are merely saying that there is no positive evidence towards flossing to indicate its <\/span>drastic<\/span><\/i> effectiveness, but there is also no negative evidence. Dentists have no good reason NOT to tell you to floss and, really, it couldn’t hurt! In fact, it can still be beneficial in the removal of bacteria and food debris. The American Dental Hygienists Association has <\/span>responded<\/span><\/a> to any naysayers by offering their support for flossing done \u201cwith proper technique.\u201d But what does that exactly mean?<\/span><\/p>\n

Never worry! We are here to tell you how to floss with the \u201cproper technique\u201d to get the job done effectively!<\/span><\/p>\n

Flossing Tips:<\/span><\/h2>\n