Dear Dr. Cajulis, every time I bring my daughter into the dentist’s office for her biannual check-up, the dentist tells me that she needs to floss. I do floss her teeth, but not every day. What is the deal with flossing?
Flossing is a very important aspect of one’s dental hygiene routine. A toothbrush, while effective at removing plaque on the chewing surfaces and at the gumline of teeth, cannot fit in between teeth. If plaque and other debris are not removed from in between teeth, several things can happen. The plaque can harden and form tartar, or calculus, and cause irritation to the gums and bones that support the teeth, thus causing gingivitis. Another thing that can happen is the formation of cavities in between the teeth, which often need fillings. If a cavity is left unattended for a prolonged period of time, the cavity can get deeper and need more extensive treatment, such as a root canal. These are the reasons why daily flossing is a very important part of one’s daily dental hygiene regimen.
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