It’s a good question and one that many people enquire about. The answer is, unsurprisingly, yes it does. You may have heard that flossing is a waste of time or read articles in the media questioning its effectiveness, but the reality is that regular flossing is definitely beneficial to the health of your teeth and gums.
How Does It Help?
The reason isn’t really that complicated. Simply put, flossing allows you to remove plaque and food particles from the areas that your toothbrush can’t reach. There are plenty of fancy electric toothbrushes on the market, but even the most advanced ones have their limitations. Flossing provides the perfect solution to make up for the shortcomings of your toothbrush by cleaning the gaps that they miss.
Have you ever been eating popcorn and got a small bit stuck between your teeth that no amount of prodding and poking with your tongue could dislodge? It’s a situation that anybody who has been to the cinema can likely relate to! However, while popcorn will usually make its presence known and can be easily removed, unfortunately that isn’t the case for most of the food you eat on a daily basis. Every time you eat, small particles of food will make their way between your teeth and those bits that evade your toothbrush may stay there for some time.
Floss Daily for the Best Results
As you can imagine, remnants of your previous meals being stuck between your teeth for an extended period of time is definitely not good for your oral health. Flossing at least once a day, as well as brushing twice a day, reduces gingivitis, plaque and plays an important role in keeping your mouth clean and healthy. If you care about your teeth and gums, flossing regularly is a no-brainer.
If you’ve never flossed before, or you’re concerned you may not be doing it properly, the NHS website offers some useful information and tips to help make sure you enjoy the full benefits of flossing.