Johnson & Johnson simply claimed flossing fights plaque without backing it up at all, and the study Procter & Gamble used to defend itself had already been debunked by Cochrane’s 2011 report. “In the absence of quality research, patients should continue to include flossing as a part of their daily oral hygiene habit”.
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“To maintain good oral health, the American Dental Association recommends brushing for two minutes, twice a day with a fluoride toothpaste, cleaning between teeth once a day with an interdental cleaner and regular dental visits advised by your dentist”, the ADA said in the statement, released Tuesday.
He acknowledges that there is little scientific data back up the benefits of flossing, but in his experience he has seen the results.
“Until then you can’t really say yes or no”.
The evidence for flossing is “weak”, “very unreliable” and carries “a moderate to large potential for bias”, new research shows.
Another study only followed people after a single use of floss.
The ADA’s representative, “acknowledged weak evidence, but he blamed research participants who didn’t floss correctly”, writes Donn. “There is no evidence to support recommending string floss, with the possible exception to those who have perfectly healthy gums and can master string flossing at a very high level (and that’s a very small group)”, their advertisement claimed. In a letter to the AP, the government acknowledged the effectiveness of flossing had never been researched, as required.
IAFOLLA: The condition we’re trying to prevent, which is gum disease, is something that takes years to develop, and most of the studies only last for a few weeks or a few months. “Two, three, four, five year studies”, he said. “Clean teeth is kind of a proven thing”, Gertler said.
But Raschkovsky said that for the seriously floss-phobic, tools other than floss can produce a similar effect to classic flossing.
It’s a familiar scene in a dentist’s office: he or she asks if you’ve been flossing regularly.
Many people also use floss incorrectly, Aldredge said, moving it in a sawing motion instead of up and down the sides of the teeth.
“I’m going to listen to my doctor because they’re the ones that look at your teeth and have the best opinion” Kenny Statton said. Johnson & Johnson told the AP that floss helps remove plaque, but when the company was sent a list of contradicting studies, its spokesperson declined to comment.
“It was a surprise because it’s nearly something that’s ingrained in our DNA as dentists”, says Joan Otomo-Corgel, a periodontist with the American Academy of Periodontology who practices in Los Angeles. So the AP dug up 25 studies over the past decade that add up to “don’t bother flossing” – and dropped a story that’s gone viral. Though frequency is unclear, floss can dislodge bad bacteria that invade the bloodstream and cause unsafe infections, especially in people with weak immunity, according to the medical literature.
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‘We know there’s a possibility that it works, so we feel comfortable telling people to go ahead and do it’.
