A Jacksonville dentist disagrees with a new report that suggests flossing may be overrated.
Missing from the latest Departments of Agriculture and Health and Human Services dietary guidelines was any mention of flossing. A report this week from the Associated Press revealed officials had never researched the effectiveness of regular flossing.
The report claims flossing hasn’t been proven to prevent severe periodontal disease, but Dr. Ron Lynch of Lynch Family Dentistry says otherwise.
“The bacteria that collect in the mouth irritate the gum and then irritate the anchor bone around the roots of the teeth and cause that bone to deteriorate and the gum to be red and flamed and puffy. That’s periodontal disease. Brushing and flossing helps to reduce the number of those bacteria and the concentration of those bacteria in that plaque and those calcium deposits. Thus, if the number of bacteria is less, then the disease or the effect of those bacteria is going to be less,” says Lynch.
According to Lynch, recent studies have revealed new information about the importance of flossing. As it turns out, there are more benefits to flossing than just dental hygiene.
“In the last fifteen years or so, studies in this country certainly have shown, unequivocally, cardiac effects, effects on the circulatory system, specifically the heart, that keeping these bacterial counts down in our blood systems helps to make a healthier heart,” explains Lynch.
Lynch points out that it takes around 24 hours for plaque to form. Lynch recommends flossing once a day, preferably before going to bed.
Click here for the full report on flossing.