There has certainly been a lot of coverage in the news recently regarding whether flossing is a good idea for your oral health or not, so what is the right answer?
The UK’s leading oral health charity, The Oral Health Foundation, is still championing that interdental cleaning is good for your teeth and gums.
The CEO of the charity, Dr Nigel Carter, explained that brushing alone only cleans three of the five surfaces of our teeth – when you don’t clean between your teeth, you’re failing to remove plaque in places a toothbrush just can’t reach.
He continues:
‘The recommendation in the UK has been to use interdental brushes as there is more evidence that their effectiveness is stronger.’
There is no suggestion that flossing is damaging to oral health, just limited evidence to its effective. If you’re already flossing, it is probably not advisable to give up but you could try interdental brushes as an alternative.’
‘Cleaning in between teeth is particularly important for vulnerable patients, such as the elderly, the very young and those with auto-immune diseases. ‘
In recent years, gum disease has been linked with a variety of more general health conditions including diabetes, strokes, heart disease and even dementia – it is so important to look after the health of gums through an effective oral hygiene routine.