Do You Need To Floss Every Day To Make It Effective?

Almost half of all Americans don’t floss every day, but a large number of those people floss weekly instead. Do you need to floss every day for a positive health effect, or is a much less stringent flossing regimen good enough? Let’s look at the facts.

Even though you can’t always tell when flossing has had an effect, it is enormously important for your teeth. That’s because flossing will help you take care of about 40{3b0f9398becb40f4bdd8fe95c600d2c252c33730296b97da1b334948809cb5c4} of the work you need to do to protect your mouth from plaque.

While your toothbrush is an important part of your dental health, flossing helps to get rid of the plaque building up between teeth — and this “invisible plaque” can add up to almost half of all the plaque in your mouth!

Flossing Every Day Versus Flossing Several Times A Week

Plaque is formed when bacteria are attracted to your teeth. These bacteria cluster around particles of food that are left over when you eat and form a thin film, known as biofilm. This is the source of the “scuzzy” feeling on teeth.

This process begins almost immediately after you eat. This is the reason it’s important to brush your teeth within about thirty minutes of eating — and why you can brush up to five times a day and still see an improvement in dental health.

But do you really need to floss every day?

Flossing every day is definitely the ideal. However, you’ll never meet anyone who flosses after every meal — even your dentist! It’s a good idea to shoot for flossing at least three times a week. This will help minimize the time that plaque can develop between teeth.

Flossing every day is helpful if you can manage it. However, flossing too often can present some concerns, as well. Flossing too frequently can irritate the gums, which often leads to bleeding.

Preventative Care Is Key To Excellent Dental Health

When you are working hard to preserve your dental health, it’s important to partner with a dentist’s office you can trust.

Throughout Newbury Park, Westlake Village, and Thousand Oaks, Community Dental Group has been the dental office of choice for thousands of discerning consumers all around California.

Call or email us at any time to learn more about what we can do for you. We welcome new patients and can assist you with restorative, preventative, and even cosmetic dental needs.