If flossing really important for oral hygiene?

We are sure you must have tried to nail the ‘floss dance’ for Instagram reels at least once, but have you tried the real teeth flossing ever? Majority of people will answer in negative as Indian people are not habitual of even brushing twice a day let alone flossing after every meal. Those hard steps that you tried for nailing the ‘floss-dance move’ might not do any good to you as flossing your teeth regularly would. Flossing in considered as a practice to maintain oral hygiene and to save the teeth from cavities, gum diseases and tooth decay.

What is teeth flossing?

Flossing can be considered as a home ritual for oral hygiene like you have a daily-skin care routine. Floss is thin thread made from nylon to remove food debris or food particles from the areas between the teeth. Toothbrush is not sufficient to clean the minute gaps between the teeth as the toothbrush bristles can’t reach that space. However, floss thread does reaches minute gaps and cleans the teeth completely. Flossing regularly after meals along with brushing makes for a proper oral care routine leading to lesser cavities, fresh breath and increased gum life.

One might argue that if flossing was that much of an importance why it is so that it was not widely practiced by our older generations? Well! If we go back to the golden old days, brushing did not exist, it was the Neem tree sticks or Meswak tree sticks that they would chew to clean teeth. The juices that would ooze out and the stick’s fibers would help to clean the teeth surfaces and the gargle thereafter would sweep out any food particles stuck between the teeth. Moreover, the food habits of olden days were different from those we have today. Sticky foods like cheese, toffees, chocolates, cakes and breads were not consumed so prominently like in modern times.

So, the need of flossing could not establish but today we need flossing as we rely on plastic toothbrushes for cleaning out teeth and they might not reach every corner like the dental floss can.

Types of dental floss

Dental floss are available in following types:

• Un-waxed: These are simple nylon thin threads that glide between the teeth easily to wipe out the particles.
• Waxed: These are threads with wax coating. The coating makes it easier for the wax to glide in and sweep the food particles easily. They are smooth and moving them between the teeth very easy.
• Flavored: These type of dental floss are available in fresh flavors like mint, clove, strawberry etc. to give your mouth a fresh taste and refreshing breath.
• Water flosser: The easiest and the most effective way is to use a water flosser to wash away stuck food particles, plagues or to give a good rinse to your mouth. It uses a high-pressure water streak to wash out the dirt.

Why flossing is an unpopular practice?

• Flossing is not a very popular exercise as people are ignorant of its benefits.
• Flossing is not marketed as readily as dental products like toothpaste, brushes and mouthwash.
• It is not a tradition and thus its seepage into daily routine is very limited.
• Floss percentage is very low because of lack of awareness and availability.

Flossing limitations

A major reason of flossing being so unpopular in India is also because majority of Indians suffer from dental conditions like crooked teeth and over-crowding. Improper arrangement of teeth makes it difficult for the floss thread to reach between the teeth. Thus, making this practice a tedious task. However, flossing in properly arranged teeth is very convenient. People with misaligned teeth can go under teeth alignment treatment through the latest teeth straightening devices, the clear aligners.

Clear aligners are transparent, removable, painless and quick teeth straightening devices that help you have properly arranged teeth and thereby making it easy for you to floss. Smile correction treatment through clear aligners aims at offering properly arranged teeth so that one can have a proper oral health care routine.

Moreover, it has been proven by world-wide researches that neglected oral hygiene can lead to high risk to heart health. Starting with getting a smile correction treatment and then maintaining oral health through brushing and flossing holds significant importance in today’s time.