I don’t floss very often by contemporary standards - maybe once every week or two - and when I was younger I didn’t floss at all: the family dentist I went to up until about age 30 never once suggested that we should floss. Yet at age 60, my teeth and gums seem to be in perfectly good health. (My current dentist, who says I should floss daily, doesn’t see any problems.)
So I’m kinda skeptical of the notion that daily flossing is worth the hassle. But I’m a Doper, so I’m open to evidence that flossing daily v. weekly v. monthly makes a difference in the health of one’s teeth and gums.
But is there any such evidence? What sorts of studies have been done, and what have they shown? Or does the dental profession just assume that since flossing at least occasionally is beneficial, flossing daily must be even better?
Personally, my gums bleed if I don’t floss at least every couple days. So I floss regularly just so my gum callouses (or whatever) stay tough and the dentist doesn’t lecture me for not flossing after the hygienist slices up my gums.
Certainly, flossing is important. It gets the gunk out of the pockets by your teeth under your gums. In a way, it’s like brushing below the gumline. But I’m unaware of a study which differentiates between flossing frequencies. It probably varies a lot among people, as well, with some people (like you) able to floss infrequently and still have great teeth and gums.
I don’t floss daily either. I have very healthy gums and teeth. I do go to my dentist every six months.
I think some people just naturally have better periodontal health. My entire mother’s side of the family has terrible teeth. Part of this is growing up in India, part of it not caring for them properly, but I think part is just how they were formed. I think I must gotten my teeth from my AWOL dad; I have very healthy and straight teeth, no need for braces, and no bleeding, ever.
If you have tightly spaced teeth (like I do) and don’t floss your mouth tends to stink from the stuck food particles and plaque that forms. If you have teeth more loosely spaced that let the particles through there is probably less of an issue. In my experience flossing is essential to dental hygiene.
A dentist I know says that he sees better peridontal health among non-flossers who habitually rinse and spit a lot while they shower each day. Don’t know if it does anything about plaque, but I guess that would get rid of food particles.
I heard an interview with dentists that use an “evidence-based” approach to dentistry. They said that studies have shown that flossing is only good in preventing / helping one of the dental issues – gingivitis. It doesn’t help in cavities, etc.
I floss every evening and am a maniac with a toothpick after every meal. I only brush in the morning. My dentist tells me that I have a very low bacteria count on my teeth. I assume he measured it using a CariScreen test? Anyway he said that he wouldn’t normally tell anyone to use a toothpick except me…told me to just keep doing what I’ve been doing. I did switch from wood to plastic toothpicks.
I am 32 and have never flossed as far back as I can remember. I go to the dentist every 6 months, and as part of the cleaning, they floss my teeth. My gums never bleed, and the hygienists and the dentist always tell me they wish everyone had teeth like I do. I’ve also never had a cavity.