29 Jul 2016 Does America Need to Floss?
Tooth flossing is one of those necessary evils that many people neglect and then wonder why certain issues emerge. Statistic Brain says that 18.5 percent of Americans do not use floss at all. Only 50 percent of the American populous uses floss every day. The halitosis study that the Council of Scientific Affairs conducted revealed that 50 percent of Americans have bad breath. Do you feel a connection here?
An Interesting Floss Statistic
The average container of Oral B floss has about 109 yards of floss on it. That amount of floss can last a regular user up to 30 days. An 85-year-old man who started using floss at five years old would use 104,640 yards by the time his 80th birthday came around. The equivalent is 59.45 miles. Take a minute to visualize this man’s lifetime floss stream. Carry on.
Problems That Come From Flossing Neglect
Tooth flossing is so important because it cleans the food particles from the crevices of the teeth. Without getting into those crevices with tooth floss, the particles stay lodged in between the teeth and grow bacteria. The rotten food in between the teeth then begins to cause gum infections, which is why some people see blood in gums. Furthermore, bad breath often accompanies the blood in gums. The affected person often ends up with an embarrassing situation. Furthermore, cavities can get in between the teeth, and it is extremely difficult for a dentist to put a filling there. Patients who have cavities in between their teeth often suffer from pain and discomfort. The trouble that not flossing brings is too extensive not to start today.
How to Start Flossing
Flossing takes about five to 10 minutes if you do it correctly. With traditional floss, you hold two ends of a piece of floss and put it in between each two teeth until the whole mouth is done. It helps if you move the floss around when it is in between the teeth to dislodge anything that is embedded there.
Which Is the Best Type of Floss to Buy?
There are so many types of floss on the market that it can be difficult to tell which one to buy. Mint-waxed floss is good because it is easy to slide in between the teeth, and it leaves a fresh scent between all of the teeth. The most important thing to ensure when you buy floss is to ensure that it is thick enough to go in between your teeth and touch the outer parts of each set of adjoining teeth. This is necessary to get a good cleaning.
The floss sticks and picks are individual pieces that have about two inches of floss on them. They may be better for you if you cannot handle floss well as they seem to get into tight spaces and allow the user more control inside the oral cavity.
A dentist can help you to determine which brand and style is right for you. Whatever tooth floss you choose, just make sure that you use it like a pro.