Poor dental hygiene can cause you much pain and misery that simply flossing your teeth and gums on a daily basis will help you avoid. The buildup of food particles and plaque between your teeth and underneath your gums, left unmitigated, will inevitably result in expensive dentist bills in the long run. Flossing your teeth is the best way to rid of these oral disease causing agents.
Prevention of Tooth Decay
Dental plaque results from the buildup of residue from carbohydrate-based food materials on the teeth. The bacteria that grow in plaque promote tooth decay, hence the conventional wisdom about tooth cavities resulting from eating too much sugar. Although modern dental care and the inclusion of fluoride in urban water systems have dramatically reduced the risk of tooth decay from moderate amounts of plaque, the risk still exists, according to Harvard Medical School's Family Health Guide. Even though brushing your teeth removes most of the plaque, flossing is necessary to remove plague from between the teeth. Since flossing also removes food debris from between the teeth, it can prevent the formation of plaque from that debris.
Prevention of Gingivitis and Periodontitis
According to the Mayo Clinic, the bacteria in the plaque that forms and hardens under your gum line can cause diseases such as gingivitis and, eventually, periodontitis. Gingivitis is a mild inflammation of the gums that causes them to swell and bleed easily when you brush or floss. Left untreated, gingivitis can progress and become periodontitis. In this condition, gum tissue begins to recede, loosening its hold on the teeth. The end result of extreme periodontitis is complete tooth loss. Interestingly, doctors used to believe that periodontitis might cause heart disease, but a 2001 epidemiological study of 4,027 people determined that the link between periodontitis and heart disease was not causative, but coincidental, according to the Harvard Medical School's Family Health Guide.
Flossing underneath the gum line is key to preventing gingivitis and periodontitis. This action removes the bacteria that inflames the gums and causes disease to develop.
Prevention of Bad Breath
A buildup of food particles in the teeth and under the gum line is one of the causes of chronic bad breath. As the food particles decay, bacteria collect on them and cause a foul odor, not unlike that of rotting food in a garbage can. Luckily, you can eliminate this source of bad breath by improving your dental hygiene habits. Flossing between your teeth and underneath your gum line will get rid of old food particles that you missed with the tooth brush. If you have bad breath and you don't floss, you will likely be rid of your breath problem within the first few days of starting your flossing regimen.
