Flossing.......are you wasting your time?

Flossing may be your least favourite past time but when you're serious about your dental health you follow your dental teams advice and try to do it at least once a day but with recent publications on the subject you may be asking yourself why?

According to a new book called Kiss your Dentist Goodbye, flossing is a waste of time and will do nothing to reduce your risk of tooth decay.  This philosophy has been backed by various pieces of research which have shown no link between regular flossing and a reduction in tooth decay.  

So is flossing a waste of time?  Absolutely not!

Research may show flossing to be ineffective against tooth decay but actually that is not why we recommend it's use.  Flossing or any other form of inter-dental cleaning is aimed at reducing the risk of gum disease.  Removing plaque and food particles from in between teeth is vital to avoid gum disease.

It is estimated that only around 5% of the population use floss and many who use floss do so incorrectly and therefore get little benefit from the process.  Without cleaning between your teeth you are missing around 40% of tooth surface increasing the risk of tooth decay and gum disease.

Click here to learn how to effectively floss your teeth. 

Dr Nigel Carter, chief executive of the British Dental Health Foundation, says flossing is definitely not a waste of time - provided you’re doing it properly.

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