Does flossing really matter? Many people ask this question. But there’s a reason why every dentist recommends that their patients floss. Flossing is often overlooked compared to brushing daily, but it’s just as critical to maintain for overall oral health. Let’s take a look at what flossing does, and why flossing is so important for your teeth and gums.
Why Flossing Is So Important for Your Teeth and Gums
So why is flossing important for your teeth and gums? And do you really need to do it? Does it really help? You may have heard mixed information about the importance of flossing. Let’s talk about it.
First, what does flossing do? Flossing removes plaque and food debris from the areas between your teeth, called the gingival sulcus, where your toothbrush can’t reach. These hidden spaces between teeth are prime breeding grounds for bacteria, which can cause cavities and gum disease. By flossing, you disrupt the bacteria’s ability to form colonies, which can damage your teeth and gums over time. This is especially important for the health of your gums, which we’ll discuss in more detail later in the post.
Flossing also helps fight bad breath. When food particles are left between your teeth, they break down and produce foul-smelling odors. Removing this debris with floss can keep your breath fresh. Additionally, flossing is important for your gum health, especially long-term. It prevents plaque from accumulating along the gumline, which can lead to gingivitis—the first stage of gum disease. Regular flossing stimulates your gums, promoting circulation and keeping the tissues healthy.
Why Do My Gums Bleed When I Floss?
If you don’t floss regularly, and then you try to, you might notice your gums slightly bleeding. Bleeding gums can be alarming, but it’s often a sign that your gums are inflamed and not used to being flossed. Flossing is not damaging to your gums; it isn’t sharp or even solid, and simply moving the floss around your gums should not cause bleeding. Consider this: if another part of your body bled when you touched it, you would be concerned.
So why does this happen when you floss?
When plaque builds up near the gumline, it can cause the early stages of gum disease, called gingivitis. When bacteria attack the gums, it causes an inflammation response. The gums become a darker red color as more blood collects in the area, helping the body to fight the bacteria. The gums are more sensitive, so they bleed easily.
The good news is that this bleeding is temporary. So is gingivitis. By flossing consistently, you remove the bacteria that irritate your gums. Over time, your gums will heal, and the bleeding will stop. The key is to be gentle but thorough, ensuring you clean the sulcus without causing trauma to the tissue.
The Evidence: Is Flossing Good for Your Teeth and Gums?
You’ve probably heard about the mixed research behind flossing. In 2016, a number of news outlets noted that the evidence showing that flossing prevented cavities and gum disease was not reliable. Many of the studies showing the effectiveness of flossing used small subject pools and short-term results. From this, many concluded that flossing was not useful.
However, it’s important to look closer at the data. Presently, long-term studies that examine the effects of flossing over years are not available. Years-long studies involving hundreds of participants are expensive, and asking participants to honestly report their flossing habits and to regularly floss across long time periods can be challenging.The lack of these studies does not mean that flossing is not effective, it simply means that long-term studies are not currently available.
Moreover, it’s difficult to isolate the effects of flossing separate from brushing. Brushing is still the most important way to care for your teeth and gums. A lack of flossing will not necessarily cause periodontal disease or tooth loss. However, adding flossing to your routine can help fight gum disease.
Dentists Agree: Flossing Helps
Dentists have seen long-term results of not flossing for years in their patients, and there’s a reason dentists ask patients to floss. Bleeding gums is not normal or healthy, and the bacteria that collect around and underneath the gum line cause damage over time. In 2016, the American Academy of Periodontology stated that patients should continue to floss. In 2019, a published review by the Cochrane Oral Health Group stated that floss can help to reduce gingivitis more than brushing alone. Small clinical studies still show that flossing can help to fight gingivitis and cavities. Nearly every dental expert in the industry agrees: flossing is good for your teeth and gums.
Flossing Regularly Protects Your Gum Health
One of the most important aspects of regular flossing is the long-term benefits to your gums, not the short-term benefits for your teeth. This is part of the reason the effects of flossing are difficult to study.
Gum disease affects as many as half of men and one third of women over the age of 30 in the US. Many of these cases are severe. Gum disease is among the leading causes of tooth loss in adults, and it’s a growing problem. The first stage of gum disease is gingivitis, which occurs when your gums are red, swollen, and bleed easily.
Flossing Can Help Prevent Tooth Sensitivity
In later stages, the gums begin to pull away from the teeth due to damage. Dentists measure this effect when they examine your gums. You might notice your dentist reciting a long series of numbers when they clean your teeth. Your dentist is measuring the depth of your gingival sulcus. When the gums pull away, the gingival sulcus gets deeper, which exposes parts of the teeth that are not meant to be exposed. This can then lead to increased tooth sensitivity.
For patients that brush and floss regularly, the gingival sulcus is consistently more shallow, and the gums almost never bleed.
Flossing Can Lower Risk of Other Health Problems
Besides gum health and tooth sensitivity, there are other important reasons to floss. Several correlations have been found between gum disease and other health problems. These links are still being studied, but patients with gum disease, but patients with gum disease have been found to also have increased rates or higher risk of cardiovascular disease, Alzheimer’s disease, dementia, diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, and some cancers.
The relationships between gum diseases and these conditions is not yet fully understood. It may be that gum inflammation affects the body’s immune response and makes it more susceptible to other illnesses or effects. Or, the mouth may act as a collection point for bacteria, which then make their way to other parts of the body and cause other issues.
Whatever the exact relationship is between these factors, it’s clear that protecting your gums is not just important for your mouth; it’s important for your whole body.
Invest in Your Health
Many people avoid flossing because they see it as an inconvenience or a time-consuming addition to their routine. Maybe it’s helpful to flip the script; instead of thinking about what you’re losing—time from your routine, the small extra cost of floss—consider what you’re gaining. Flossing is an investment in your overall health, not just your teeth and gums. Imagine the benefits of having fresher breath and healthy gums that don’t bleed. Moreover, consider the reduced risk of costly dental procedures like root canals or gum surgery, and the reduced risk of cardiovascular disease, cancers, and other health problems.
Flossing only takes a couple of minutes each day and it’s inexpensive. Yet, it can save you significant time, money, and discomfort in the future. Think of it as a small step that contributes to a lifetime of better oral health and overall health. If there was an easy, inexpensive way to help prevent costly procedures or health problems down the road, would you take it?
Conclusion
Whether you use regular floss, a water pick, or another method, there’s no wrong way to floss. Instead of thinking about flossing like a chore that you’re guilted into, think of it as an investment in your health and protection for your gums. Moreover, if you’re not convinced about the effects of flossing, you might think of it as an experiment of your own; after a year of flossing, you might study how your gums feel, whether or not the depth of your sulcus has improved, whether or not you experience less tooth sensitivity, or other effects.
If you’d like an expert opinion on flossing, we can help. Contact a BDG dentist today to make an appointment. We can tell you ourselves what effects we see from patients who floss, and why we recommend it. Make an appointment today online or call 702-388-8888.
