Benefits of Flossing

To adequately take care of your teeth, you should be flossing at least once daily in addition to your normal twice-a-day brushing. Some people tend to skip flossing for a variety of reasons, but one common reason is because it takes more time. Although once the flossing technique is mastered, it only adds an extra five minutes max to your dental routine. These extra minutes spent flossing have numerous benefits for your teeth and it is definitely worth making the time for. Listed below are some of the main benefits flossing can offer you.

More Effective Than Only Brushing

One of the first benefits of flossing is that flossing, in addition to brushing, will keep your mouth entirely clean. Brushing alone can only reach certain surfaces, meaning that there are parts of your teeth that are not being cleaned when you skip flossing. Every time you floss, you ensure that food particles and bacteria buildup are removed from these hard-to-reach areas, and your mouth is much cleaner because of it. Flossing also helps to remove plaque in a way that brushing simply cannot. This is important because excess plaque can develop into tartar, which is much harder to remove and can leave your teeth looking, and feeling, dirty.

Improves Your Breath

As a result of dislodging food particles and bacteria, flossing helps to make your breath smell naturally fresher. Without flossing, food particles and bacteria will continue to accumulate, and it is this accumulation that lends itself to bad breath.

Prevents Gum Disease by Removing Excess Plaque

Some people avoid flossing simply because it causes their gums to bleed. However, if you make flossing a regular activity, your gums will bleed less or stop bleeding altogether. Furthermore, flossing is highly beneficial for your gums, as it prevents gum disease. Gum disease is caused by the bacteria associated with plaque build up. Every time you floss, you remove this bacteria accomplishing two things. First, you are removing excess plaque build up from your teeth, and secondly you are removing the bacteria that causes gum disease.

Flossing Saves Money

Yes, you read that right. Daily flossing ensures that your teeth and gums are much healthier. As a result, the likelihood of developing a serious dental condition that requires costly treatment is decreased. Think of flossing as the daily maintenance for your teeth. Much better to devote a few minutes a day and a few dollars to keeping your teeth healthy than to wait until you are suffering from a dental ailment that is expensive to treat.

Flossing Can Help You Lose Weight

There is no specific evidence directly proving this phenomenon as of yet, however it has been unofficially found that if you floss after you eat, then you are less likely to keep eating or snacking. This is partially because flossing does take time and if you have devoted the time to flossing, it makes you think twice about whether or not you want to undo the effects of flossing just for one snack. However, it ultimately changes your eating habits, causing you to eat less and possibly lose weight.