10 Benefits of Flossing

Look, we know you don’t like the little speech you get from your dental hygienist about the importance of flossing. But hear us out, it’s really, really important. Flossing is a cheap, quick way to protect your health, your appearance, and your pocketbook. We usually spare you the details in our 30 second speech in the office, but let’s talk about it a little more here. There are oodles of benefits of flossing.

1. Flossing reaches about 40 percent of your teeth that goes untouched by brushing alone. If you are only scoring 60 percent as of now, that’s a D- in most schools. Don’t be a D- tooth person.  
2. Flossing will ward off plaque which produces acid and harbors bacteria that can cause cavities So, unless you enjoy fillings, crowns, and root canals...you know what to do. 
3. By keeping the fillings, crowns, and root canals at bay, you’re also going to save lots of money. That is, of course, unless you want to spend money on gold teeth like a rapper from the early 2000s. Floss is pretty cheap compared to the alternative.
4. By using floss, people can avoid serious maladies. Poor dental care can lead to periodontal disease which can contribute to diabetes, stroke, heart disease, bone loss, and arthritis. Don’t let a small hole sink a big ship. 
5. If you actually floss, you won’t have to lie about it. Some people (not you of course) will floss right before their dental appointment as if we don’t know you haven’t been flossing. It’s okay, but we just wanted you to know that we know. We’re like Santa Claus. 
6. You can keep your teeth. Not only is keeping your teeth good for the aesthetics, it also preserves the structural integrity of your mouth and mitigates infections. There’s an expression we have that only dental professionals appreciate: “Only floss the teeth you want to keep.” (insert muted chuckling here). Isn’t that clever? Oh well, some jokes are just for ourselves. 
7. You can keep your friends. Halitosis, or smelly breath, is not serious unless you want to be “that guy”. Don’t find yourself all alone one day surrounded by only full cartons of floss you didn’t use, simply because you pushed your friends away by being a D- tooth person. Plus, bad breath is an indicator of bacteria, and bacteria is the enemy. 
8. You’ll look better now and age better as well. Clean teeth are attractive and so is the confidence it can foster. In addition, through time gums can recede and swell due to gingivitis and periodontitis, but flossing can mitigate that process, leaving you looking like a snack for years to come. 
9. We don’t really have a 9; we just wanted to end on a round number. Perhaps we could say that flossing will make your mom happy? Or that it helps the economy? You pick.
10. You can tell people you floss and make them feel inferior. Simply work your flossing into casual conversation. Or better yet, just whip out the floss in public like a gun at the OK Corral. Flossing in public is a huge flex.   

Okay, so there are only seven good benefits of flossing laid out here. But for the sake of your overall health, as well as your confidence and financial well-being, we hope you’ll take our advice and floss regularly - about twice a day is good. It doesn’t have to be only when you brush or just after you eat. We’ll take what we can get. We would rather you not floss while driving a motorcycle (Look, mom, no hands!). Almost anything else is fine. Contact Carolina Family Dental and let us help you be an A+ tooth person.