No strong proof that flossing your teeth has medical benefit

[taco.vidal]

http://www.cbc.ca/news/health/dental-floss-1.3703798

No strong proof that flossing your teeth has medical benefit - Weak evidence behind advice to floss to avoid gum disease

CBC News Posted: Aug 02, 2016 8:58 AM ET Last Updated: Aug 02, 2016 5:41 PM ET

The U.S. government has recommended flossing for decades. It was included in the 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans, which stated: "A combined approach of reducing the amount of time sugars and starches are in the mouth, drinking fluoridated water, and brushing and flossing teeth, is the most effective way to reduce dental caries."

In the 2015 version, that recommendation is no longer included.

The news agency looked at the most recent rigorous research, focusing on 25 studies that generally compared the use of a toothbrush with the combination of toothbrushes and floss. The findings? The evidence for flossing is "weak, very unreliable," of "very low" quality, and carries "a moderate to large potential for bias."

A 2015 review published in the Journal of Clinical Periodontology also concluded "the majority of available studies fail to demonstrate that flossing is generally effective in plaque removal."

[Looch City]

All that lost blood and it was for nothing?!

[Weitz]

Whenever I got to the Dentist I play a little game.

I do the same thing with my teeth no matter what, but I change what I tell the person at the dentist when I get a cleaning and I find that they are all over the map based purely on what I say... Even when I don't change any dental habits.

Quite funny to me I suppose.

[Knut]

Its helps with bad breath though

[troutman]

https://www.sciencebasedmedicine.org...s-be-with-you/

[Canehdianman]

Never flossed. Never had a cavity.

[calgarygeologist]

The dental lobby has been screwing us all this time!

[Kjesse]

How can you malign the malign the whole dental industry over this? Its just the thin string industry, those capitalist pigs!

[OMG!WTF!]

Not flossing is kind of gross (for some people some of the time not withstanding the use of toothpaste and brushing as a part of a regularly applied regiment of oral health care under the supervision of a certified dental practitioner).

[verda13]

[CaptainYooh]

Flossing takes small particles of food left over between your teeth. No toothbrush can remove it all. Left unflossed, this food stays there, ferments, deteriorates and smells bad. If you travel around the world to the countries where flossing is not widely practiced, you see yellowish chunks of gunk between people's teeth at the gum-line all the time. That's what it is. Regardless of how it may (or may not) help your overall dental health, flossing should be done for that reason alone.

[Hack&Lube]

I once had a dental hygienist tell me that flossing and cleanings and fancy toothpaste wasn't necessary. Just avoid eating too many carbs and sugars that bacteria like to digest and create acidic byproducts and basic brushing will take care of everything.

I believe they found that the residents of Pompeii (preserved by volcanic mummification) had great dental health because their Roman diet contained almost no sugars.

There are also fantastic new and affordable dental products out there that will actually rebuild your tooth enamel. I always tell people in Canada to go buy some toothpaste with Novamin. We can get it for $6 tubes but you have to pay $6000 for a Novamin treatment in the US because of the companies that hold the rights down there.

[GoinAllTheWay]

Originally Posted by CaptainYooh

Flossing takes small particles of food left over between your teeth.

It can, but it also leaves a lot behind. Plaque is waxy and flossing isn't overly effective in removing it. My dentist actually said as much when I was there last week, almost fell out of my chair.

What he now recommends is a Sulka Brush as well as these little pipe cleaner looking things, forget the brand name. But, because it's a pipe cleaner type bristle, it does a much better job. Kind of like a tooth brush between your teeth.

He also went on to say that floss is really only useful for the contact points on your teeth, even then it's iffy.

[CaptainYooh]

Originally Posted by GoinAllTheWay

It can, but it also leaves a lot behind. Plaque is waxy and flossing isn't overly effective in removing it. ...

Ever looked at your floss after using it???

[GreenLantern]

Flossing just feels good, especially after eating something that is really bad for getting stuck in between the teeth like popcorn or corn on the cob.

Until they tell me it is bad for me I will continue to do it daily.

[CorsiHockeyLeague]

The best thing you can do for your dental health is use an electric toothbrush. I've had one for a year and don't know why I didn't switch sooner. It's amazing the difference the thing makes.

[Locke]

Originally Posted by CorsiHockeyLeague

The best thing you can do for your dental health is use an electric toothbrush. I've had one for a year and don't know why I didn't switch sooner. It's amazing the difference the thing makes.

Its like a power sander, for your teeth!

[GoinAllTheWay]

Originally Posted by CaptainYooh

Ever looked at your floss after using it???

Yep. Not saying it doesn't remove anything, just not as much as you'd think. To test that, I flossed once (and I use pretty thick floss) and then did it again with one of those brushes I mentioned. It was like I hadn't flossed at all. It pulled out WAY more crap and is much faster to use.

[mrkajz44]

My dentist told me using waxed floss was basically a waste of time, but unwaxed did a good job getting crap from out between your teeth. I was suspicious when he said he was one of the few places I could buy the unwaxed from, but it was $4 for a spool that lasts about 1.5 years.

Anyway, I floss pretty regularly and will continue to do so.