Flossing, like brushing teeth, is a reasonably modern practice. But oral care has been happening for a long time. Some research suggests that humans in the prehistoric age used twigs and horsehair to clean their teeth.
Nowadays, you are guaranteed to get one question when you go to the dentist: “Did you floss?” We know how important our oral health is. But aside from brushing, the health benefits of flossing may seem obscure.
This guide will show you the importance of flossing and why you shouldn’t skip it during your daily cleaning.
Healthy Tooth Enamel – One of the Primary Health Benefits of Flossing
Enamel is vital to the health of your teeth. This thin outer layer serves as a shield for your pearly whites. Without it, your teeth would have minimal protection against the foods you consume.
Enamel is quite strong, but it has one significant weakness: plaque. Plaque is the beginning of tooth decay. It wears down your teeth, allowing bacteria to form cavities.
Therefore, protecting your enamel as much as possible is in your best interest. The biggest threat to your enamel is starchy foods and sugars. These are what allow plaque to form and grow.
Flossing helps you to reach all the places that your toothbrush can’t. This prevents plaque from forming in those hard-to-reach areas. Taking just a few extra minutes each day to floss can spare you from dental anxiety at your next appointment.
It Can Prevent Gingivitis
Plaque doesn’t just hurt your teeth. It also proves to be a threat to your gums. While the plaque is eating away at your teeth, it can irritate your gums, too.
The result is that your gums get swollen and inflamed. They may begin to bleed or look unsightly. Your gums will likely be quite sensitive if you haven’t flossed in a while.
Like protecting your enamel, you want to eliminate the conditions that create plaque. That’s why flossing teeth is so important. If you remove the food plaque that needs to form from the base of your teeth, then gingivitis can’t happen.
It Reduces Teeth Discoloration
Everyone wants teeth that look white and healthy. That’s why tooth whitening procedures are so popular. Or, you can take care of your teeth and nip discoloration in the bud before it happens.
Tartar develops as a result of plaque. This tartar is the primary cause of teeth discoloration. Flossing helps to prevent that discoloration from forming where it usually does along the gumline.
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The evidence makes it impossible to deny the health benefits of flossing. Flossing not only gets food out of those hard-to-reach places but also protects your teeth from their greatest enemy: plaque. It can also spare your gums from gingivitis and reduce teeth discoloration.