Dr. Mogell Dental Blog

Boca Raton Cosmetic Dentist

Which is Worse - Flossing or Cleaning the Toilet?

Thursday, August 20, 2015

Surprisingly, about 14% of people think that flossing is worse than spending time cleaning the toilet. No wonder over one-quarter of people lie to their dentists about how often they floss!

Dentists are all about prevention - if we can keep problems from happening it makes life easier for everyone - especially you! Keeping your mouth healthy does require some sacrifices, including brushing twice each day and flossing once.

Why can't you floss once a week and forget it? It has to do with the gunk you are scraping off your teeth when you floss. That gunk (a technical term) builds up on teeth every day and at first it is soft and sticky and can easily be scraped away. After 24 hours or so, that changes. The gunk becomes hard and then the only way to get it off is to have the dental hygienist remove it.

Why is it important to keep the gunk from hardening and building up? Number one - it would look really nasty after a while. Number two - the bacteria that cause gum disease look upon that hardened gunk like it is a new condo just waiting for them to move in.

Some people just love flossing - but I know they are a minority. The folks that would rather scrub the toilet to avoid flossing... not sure what is going on with them. The majority of us fall into the middle. We will floss when we remember or if it is convenient.

Try keeping the floss out on the bathroom counter or on the nightstand, it might prompt you to remember. Many people find using small brushes (proxy brushes) or floss picks more convenient and comfortable than fighting with a long piece of dental floss.

Whatever works to get you cleaning out the gunk on a daily basis - go for it!

To start out your new regimen with squeaky clean teeth please contact our Boca Raton office at 561-394-9000 to schedule your next appointment with Katie, our wonderful hygienist!

Labels: dental hygiene, flossing, gum disease