“The majority of available studies fail to demonstrate that flossing is generally effective in plaque removal”, it said. Only about 40 percent said they flossed their teeth every day.
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He says both studies done at UB also found that flossing improved the health of gums by about 10 to 15 percent. The report from the Cochrane group noted the studies “were of poor quality and conclusions must be viewed as unreliable”. A commentary in a dental magazine stated that any benefit would be so minute it might not be noticed by users.
However, good news for those of us who weren’t as organised in their dental hygiene routine – a leading British dentist has said that there is only “weak evidence” that flossing prevents gum disease and cavities. 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. The studies cited by both organizations mostly looked at short-term warning signs like gum bleeding, but didn’t factor in long-term issues like gum disease or cavities.
In a statement, the American Academy of Periodontology acknowledged there was a problem with research on the matter, stating that “much of the current evidence does not utilize a large sample size or examine gum health over a significant amount of time”. When flossing was scraped from the list when it was republished in 2015, the AP started to ask questions. She said that whether the science supports flossing or not, dentists see firsthand that it works. Even though I don’t floss often, my teeth are fine. Yet a recent investigation by Associated Press reporter Jeff Donn found there’s little to no research proving that flossing does the job it’s supposed to.
“A toothbrush cannot clean the plaque on surfaces between teeth, but floss can”, Wong said.
The floss-making companies partner with the ADA through its Seal of Acceptance program. Floss makers seek ADA approval through its Seal of Approval program (which they pay for) because consumers trust the ADA’s recommendation when looking to purchase dental products.
When flossing first gained acceptance, no proof was required of remedies. Dentists beg us to floss – quite literally giving the stuff away in hopes we’ll get the hint and use it. The floss should be used to scrape food off the sides of the teeth.
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For long, we’ve been told frequent flossing is good for the teeth.
