When you sit down to eat most meals, you finish everything and move on. Not at Thanksgiving. Often, families gather together and make the event a whole-afternoon feast. They snack first, dive into multiple helpings of the main courses, and then finish up by taste-testing several desserts. While this can be a fun, once-a-year tradition, it can also leave children and adults at risk of developing gum disease in Plymouth, MA unless they take precautionary measures like flossing.
Why Do Dentists Recommend Flossing?
Every time you go to your dentist for a routine checkup, the hygienist flosses your teeth and reminds you to do likewise. Why, though, if you are already brushing?
The reasons flossing works well is that it gets in between teeth and under the gumline. Toothbrush bristles can miss a lot of those spots. By adding flossing to your oral hygiene every day, you help remove small particles of food that could eventually lead to a buildup of plaque.
What Is the Link Between Flossing and Reduced Gum Disease Risk?
Gum disease is believed to affect nearly half the adult population in the United States. The condition begins as an infection in the gums, and without special dental treatments, it progresses rapidly. Unmanaged gum disease almost always leads to eventual tooth loss.
When you floss, you reduce the chances of developing gum disease because you eliminate the debris that can lead to infection. Without the right conditions, gum disease cannot take hold and advance from gingivitis, the earliest stage, to advanced stages of periodontitis.
What Are a Few Tried-and-True Flossing Tips?
Like the idea of stopping gum disease just by flossing after Thanksgiving dinner and other meals? Try a few tips to make flossing easier, especially if you are new to doing it all the time.
First, know that your gums will have to get used to flossing. They may bleed initially when you floss. As they get accustomed to flossing, they will bleed less often.
Secondly, you may want to try unwaxed and waxed floss varieties. Some patients prefer one over another. Frequently, people with tooth crowding like waxed floss because it glides easily between the teeth.
Finally, ask your hygienist to show you the perfect flossing technique the next time you have a dental appointment in Plymouth, MA. That way, you can be sure you are flossing correctly—and making it harder for gum disease to present itself.
