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5 Things You Should Know About Flossing

February 5, 2020

We’ve all had moments where floss has saved us from wearing our lunch in our teeth at an important meeting or event. But flossing has benefits that go beyond just removing excess food particles from between your teeth. 

At First Hill Dental Center, we’ve come up with five things our dental team wants you to know about flossing. And if you haven’t scheduled your biyearly teeth cleaning, make sure you contact First Hill Dental Center in Seattle to get your appointment scheduled today! 

Flossing Your Teeth 

Every time you visit the dentist, they stress the importance of brushing and flossing your teeth twice a day. But are you having a hard time feeling motivated to brush and floss your teeth on a regular basis? 

That’s why we’re here with five things you should know about flossing. Read through our list and see if any of these points make flossing sound like a valuable tool.

Protects Your Teeth

This might be one of the more obvious points, but flossing does protect your teeth. It helps remove food build up and plaque that can damage your teeth over time. Removing that food and bacteria helps your gum health and reduces your risk of gum disease and root problems. Since you’re flossing at regular intervals, you are better able to check for any inflammation, swelling, or redness in your mouth and catch any potential problems early.

If you’re not flossing and monitoring your teeth frequently other more serious conditions can arise. For example, gingivitis is an inflammation of the gums that can lead to tooth loss.

Is Most Effective After Eating

If you’re looking to maximize the effect of flossing, floss your teeth right after you eat. You might be used to flossing right when you wake up and before you go to bed. But flossing between meals removes food particles immediately. It also ensures that there are less food particles for bacteria to chew on at night! 

Helps Reduce Bad Breath

No one likes having bad breath, especially in an office or other professional setting. But if you’re constantly battling bad breath, you might just need to floss more! Part of what causes bad breath is a buildup of tartar on your gums and teeth. If you’re working to floss those areas regularly, and removing any excess food particles, you’re reducing tartar and plaque and improving your breath! 

Makes Your Toothpaste More Effective

Flossing and brushing are always paired together. So it’s not surprising that flossing increases the effectiveness of your toothpaste. Try flossing before you brush your teeth. Then you’ve removed any food build up between your teeth and your toothpaste is able to reach more areas of your teeth while you brush.

Improves Overall Health

While this might sound weird, flossing can actually help improve your overall health. From reducing heart disease and respiratory disease to helping control diabetes, flossing actually has a large impact on your body’s health.

Gingivitis, which we talked about earlier, allows bacteria to enter your bloodstream and start attacking your organs and can lead to blood clots and heart disease. So by keeping your gums healthy and free of plaque and tartar, you can reduce your chances for more serious conditions.

Visit your Seattle Dentist Today

Don’t put off your preventative cleaning appointment. Call First Hill Dental Center in Seattle and get your next appointment scheduled. And while you’re between appointments, make sure you’re brushing and flossing your teeth every day!