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Den's Dental Blog

Hello! My name is Den. This blog is going to cover a range of dental topics. I am not a dentist or a dental nurse but I have recently undergone a lot of dental treatment. This treatment has given me a great insight into the world of dentistry and I would like to share everything I have learnt with you here. Last year, I developed terrible pain in my mouth. I was diagnosed with severe tooth decay. The dentist removed the problem teeth and then inserted false ones in their place. He also whitened my teeth to improve my smile. I hope you find my blog useful.

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The Fuss About Floss: Why Should You Bother Flossing Your Teeth?

by Myrtle Banks

Do you floss your teeth regularly? Or are your oral hygiene efforts limited to brushing your teeth twice daily? If, like 95% of the Australian population, you don't floss, you are missing out on some dental benefits that could save you multiple trips to the dentist.

If you currently aren't a flosser, the following flossing benefits might encourage you to change your mind.

Flossing Helps Reduce Teeth Cleaning Appointments

Your toothbrush excels at removing plaque and food debris from the front and back of your teeth. However, reaching the interproximal spaces — in other words, the areas between your teeth — is much more difficult. As a result, plaque, which is a mixture of living and dead bacteria, as well as food debris, forms and stays in the hard-to-reach areas between your teeth.

Within about 12 days, this unremoved plaque will harden into tartar or calculus. The only way to remove it is through a dental cleaning. However, since floss can reach the interproximal space, adding flossing to your hygiene routine will reduce the need for dental cleanings.

Flossing Prevents Tartar From Causing Gum Disease

Another more serious issue with tartar between your teeth is gum disease. Tartar is harmful to gum tissue due to its toxic nature, and the more of it you have on your teeth, the higher the chance you have of suffering from gum disease. Gum disease destroys the gum tissue, bone and periodontal ligaments that hold your teeth in position.

Simply removing plaque from between your teeth at least twice a day by flossing will give you greater protection against gum disease.

Flossing Combats Bad Breath

As mentioned in one of the earlier points, plaque contains food particles. Moreover, during meals, it is normal for some food to lodge between your teeth. This is especially true in regards to tougher foods like beef and pork. If these foods stay trapped between your teeth throughout the day, they will give you bad breath. Even though it is trapped, your body is still breaking the food down.

Your saliva breaks food down, as do the oral bacteria present in your mouth. And, unfortunately, rotting food gives off a sulphurous odour. Thus, anyone you speak to during the day may not too happy to get a face full of sulphur! However, by flossing after meals, you can avoid this embarrassing issue completely and smile without worrying about lodged food ruining your smile.

Flossing can save you time, money and stress, and all it takes is several extra minutes per day. From now on, try to include flossing in your oral hygiene routine or at least try to do it after eating. Contact a dental clinic like Dentist 4 U for more information.

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