Santa Cruz, Scotts Valley CA
Flossing your teeth has been, and always will be, a critical aspect of maintaining one’s oral health. Although most patients intend to floss every day, it just does not happen as often as your dentist recommends. Flossing may take critical minutes out of your already busy day. Still, it could save your life from other potential illnesses that can arise from poor dental hygiene. To help you understand how critical flossing could be to your overall health, family dentists in Scotts Valley at Ebrahimian Integrative Dentistry share information about the life-saving effects of dental floss.
Why Should You Floss
In addition to brushing your teeth twice a day, flossing is also an important activity to add to your daily oral care routine. When you brush your teeth, you remove the leftover food and debris from the surface of your teeth. Unfortunately, that is not the only place where food and bacteria are trapped. The space between your teeth is where food can linger because your toothbrush is unable to reach those areas. Flossing removes the debris and bacteria from those hard to reach areas, reducing your risk of developing gum disease.
Flossing Helps Prevent Additional Health Problems
Since your oral health affects your overall health, you must follow the recommendation of your Los Gatos dentists to floss every day. When you floss daily, it removes most of the plaque that accumulates between your teeth. When plaque builds up, it can lead to other problems in addition to cavities or gum disease. By not flossing regularly, you could develop gum disease, which has clinically shown to increase your risk of heart disease, stroke, diabetes, and cognitive decline. Therefore, daily flossing could literally save your life.
Flossing Helps Prevent Gingivitis
As the first stage of gum disease, gingivitis can be prevented by exercising good oral habits, daily flossing, and preventative care provided by your general dentists in Santa Cruz. If you notice red or swollen gums, bleeding while brushing or flossing, or chronic bad breath, you could have gingivitis. If the condition is not resolved, it could result in your gums pulling away from your teeth creating a space that could be more susceptible to infection. Also, as the condition worsens, it could cause enough damage where teeth would need to be extracted.
Flossing Reduces Bad Breath
Even when you brush reguarly, you could still experience halitosis or bad breath from the bacteria and plaque between your teeth. Regular flossing removes substances that lead to bad breath. Also, if you find yourself in a position where you are not able to floss, rinsing with an antibacterial mouthwash could help reduce the presence of plaque and bacteria. However, it is not a viable substitute for flossing daily.
General Dentists in Scotts Valley, Los Gatos, and Santa Cruz
Although flossing your teeth may be forgotten from time to time, it is critical that you instill the practice into your daily oral health routine. In addition to the oral health benefits you receive, you could also protect other dangerous and life-threatening diseases from occurring. To ensure you are flossing the right way or if you would like to make an appointment with a board-certified dentist for an exam or cleaning, feel free to contact Ebrahimian Integrative Dentistry by calling (831) 824-5111 or contact us today.
