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At Don Harvey Dental in Alpharetta, GA we are dedicated to preventative health. You will find that every team member is eager to help each and every patient understand the importance of oral care prevention.
Flossing helps to prevent periodontal disease and gingivitis. Harvard Medical School researchers found that flossing removes bacteria and plaque from the teeth and gums, the same plaque which is absorbed into the blood stream and can clog arteries and veins. Another study found that men with periodontitis had a startling 70% greater risk of developing coronary disease, while a case of gingivitis meant a 40% increase.
One of the first things I notice about anyone I meet is their smile. Whenever I observe someone with clean, white teeth and healthy, red gums I automatically assume they are at least a fairly healthy individual. On the other hand, when I see someone with that looks like they haven’t brushed their teeth in a decade I assume lots, and not much of my assumptions are positive. I know it isn’t right to judge, but when it comes to oral health we say a lot about ourselves without ever saying anything at all.
Imagine your body as homes. Once mold, (plaque from the food we eat), enters through an open window on a rainy day, it can eventually be blown through the air conditioning vents to every room of the house. If anyone has ever had mold damage to their home, it can mean total demolition and rebuilding the home from the ground up. Plaque does the same thing, it can enter through your gums and then cross the soft tissue barrier and flow throughout your bloodstream and into the arteries in your heart.
Flossing after meals, especially after your last meal of the day, will help you become healthier in a number of ways. Flossing cleans any residual food particles from your mouth, which eliminates the taste from your taste buds (and subconscious).
To test this philosophy, try flossing and brushing after dessert and then revisit the pastry tray, it just doesn’t have the same attraction. It’s like taking a shower and then rolling around in the dirt, it just doesn’t make sense.
Secondly, it releases the pressure from little particles of food that are stuck in between your teeth and gums. It’s like pulling 4 or 5 pebbles out of your running shoes, the relief is instantaneous. I can‘t even think about going to bed at night until I’ve flossed, I can literally feel the food stuck in my teeth and there’s no way I’m getting peaceful rest until I get it out.
Then there is the halitosis factor. Rotten food smells bad. It can smell so bad that it impels us to make a special trip to an outdoor dumpster in extremely cold weather at all times of the night. So consider what “leaving the trash” behind does for your breath?
Flossing does for your teeth what vacuuming in between the seats, after a one week road trip with toddlers, does for your car. It gets the cheerios, french fries and pacifiers from collecting dust and stinking up your ride.
A smile is a terrible thing to waste, so be good to your teeth, your gums, your heart and your kissing partner and make your mouth as clean as possible.
