A new report on dental health published by the Associated Press on Tuesday goes against everything your dentist has ever told you.
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Even if there isn’t any scientific evidence to support it, many feel they see a difference when they floss. “But I think the best science indicates that I’m not doing anything beneficial for my health”, he said.
The AP’s look at 25 different studied compared using a toothbrush alone to a combination of toothbrush and floss and found that the evidence for flossing is “weak, very unreliable” and of “very low” quality. Numerous case studies that “proved” flossing helped prevent gum disease and plaque build-up were conducted on too few people and lasted only weeks-far too short a time to accurately gauge whether the practice makes a difference.
In response to his claims, Public Health England (PHE) said it would “consider these findings”. It is hard to believe flossing does little to protect teeth and keep gums healthy. “And those are the things that carry the bad bugs that cause disease in the mouth”, said Dr. Cook.
“The difficulty is trying to get good evidence”.
If you had time to floss your teeth this morning in between throwing on your clothes, grabbing a coffee and running out of the door, chances are you’re feeling pretty smug right now. He still encourages his patients to floss, but in the correct matter up and down the sides of teeth and not in a sawing motion.
And a leading British dentist has also added that there is only “weak evidence” that flossing is helpful.
Flossing was first recommended by the American Dental Association in the early part of the 20th century. For years we’ve been told how important it is to floss every day.
If done incorrectly, flossing can cause harm.
So have we all just been consumer victims of the flossing-industrial complex? Careless flossing can damage gums, teeth and dental work.
You die-hard dental nerds out there can still floss, though.
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“If you have any specific concerns with regard to gum health, your dentist or hygienist can provide advice on the most appropriate methods to suit your individual needs”, he said.
