Welcome back to our blog series on the importance of flossing! In part one of our blog, we discussed the staggering number of Americans (33 percent) who admit that they never floss another frightening number of Americans (37 percent) who admit that they floss irregularly. This leaves a measly 30 percent of the people in our nation flossing a sufficient amount.  Whether this is the result of ignorance, laziness, or both, Americans really need to get better about our flossing, or, lack thereof. Refusing to floss daily can cause the following:

Tartar Buildup

As the plaque on teeth goes untreated, it eventually hardens and turns into what we call tartar. The unfortunate thing about having tartar buildup is that it’s such a hard substance that it must be removed by your dentist. Additionally, tartar buildup on and in between your teeth can eventually cause your teeth to decay. Flossing daily helps to avoid the building up of tartar and will aid in preserving your teeth for years to come.

Permanent Loss of Teeth

As we’ve stated above, the lack of daily flossing can cause gum disease, which in turn, causes the gums to pull away from the teeth and create pockets in which bacteria grows. These pockets will work to weaken the teeth and could even cause them to eventually fall out. A great way to avoid this is to make sure that you’re flossing daily and go see your Boulder dentist every six months.

Halitosis

As many of you already know, halitosis is a technical term for bad breath. But did you know that you might be able to avoid that pesky mouth odor? Many people mistakenly believe that their bad breath might be a chronic problem that is hereditary. And while this is possible, it’s not always the case. Bad breath is often the result of food that gets stuck between teeth and is allowed to rot. Because flossing helps to ensure that no bacteria causing particles can be left in between teeth, flossing is a great way to avoid halitosis.

Possible Problems During Pregnancy

When you’re pregnant, you’re very conscious about what you eat, drink, and how much you exercise. But did you know that your dental health can actually play a role in your baby’s health? Though this is rare, a pregnant woman’s lack of flossing can lead to excess bacteria in her mouth. This bacteria can find its way into her bloodstream or more severely, her baby. We know that you’ve got a million things on your mind and we also know how careful you’re being; just take it one step further and floss regularly. It’s simply not worth the risk to go without flossing.

Cavities

Perhaps one of the most common reasons to floss daily is, of course, to avoid cavities. Most of us can detect a cavity on the top surface of our teeth by giving our pearly whites a routine inspection, however, we are often completely unable to see cavities that form between teeth. As food particles get lodged between your teeth, they begin to decay, and this decay leads to cavities. Getting cavities between your teeth is frustrating to deal with, especially if you take pride in your regular brushing routine. But as you may have guessed by now, brushing alone simply won’t get all of the food particles from between your teeth. If you believe that you may have a cavity between your teeth, or if it’s been longer than six months since you’ve been to the dentist, you should call your dental pro today to schedule an appointment.
As you learned above, most people don’t take their oral health seriously enough. Whether that means not flossing daily, not flossing at all, or not visiting your Boulder dental office enough, there are all kinds of ways that we have dropped the ball with our dental health. Most of us would shy away from the idea of having to get dentures at an early age; we only get one set of teeth and we want them to last.

It’s never too late to start taking your dental care seriously. If you’re in the Boulder area and you’re needing a great dentist, contact our offices to schedule an appointment. We’d love to get you on the right track toward dental health!