{"id":162,"date":"2015-07-14T13:01:21","date_gmt":"2015-07-14T13:01:21","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.davidweinmandmd.com\/blog\/?p=162"},"modified":"2016-06-03T18:12:40","modified_gmt":"2016-06-03T18:12:40","slug":"flossing","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.davidweinmandmd.com\/blog\/flossing\/","title":{"rendered":"Flossing is Essential!"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Man<\/a><\/p>\n

A recent study from Bupa, an international health organization, revealed that 81% of Britons believe their smiles are unattractive in photos, and 28% refuse to smile for photos all together. Similar studies conducted in the United States reveal similar findings, and an even higher percentage of people who feel pressured by celebrity photos to perfect their smiles. While our vanity may influence us to want a perfect smile, what we may not realize is the importance of flossing to maintain our oral health and smile radiance, retain gum tissue and bone density, and remove tooth decay causing bacteria. If you need a superior preventive, family<\/a> dentist, Westfield, NJ<\/a> call<\/a> Dr. David M. Weinman to schedule an appointment today. The expert dental hygienists<\/a> at our practice<\/a> can help you learn to love flossing, and keep your smile healthy and beautiful for life.<\/p>\n

Benefits of Flossing<\/h3>\n

It\u2019s been six months. Your dental hygiene appointment is in two days, and you haven\u2019t flossed since the last checkup. You don\u2019t want yet another lecture about flossing from your hygienist, so you decide to cram six months of flossing into the next two days. The result? Bleeding, irritated, swollen gums, and a profound distain for the entire subject of flossing. You go to your hygiene appointment, and hear the same refrain, \u201cHow often do you floss?\u201d Only now, it\u2019s coupled with, \u201cYour gums seem irritated. That could be a sign of gum disease.\u201d That\u2019s it! You think. Flossing is useless.<\/p>\n

Unlike tooth brushing which makes your mouth look, feel, and taste clean right away, flossing\u2019s early effects can be mostly negative. If you don\u2019t floss on a regular basis, your gums will likely become irritated as you remove bacteria that has built up. Many patients report flossing once or twice directly after dental checkups and in the days leading up to their appointment, but rarely flossing at any other time. This inconsistency probably does more harm than good because it leads patients to believe flossing can only be unpleasant.<\/p>\n

However, the benefits of regular flossing far outweigh any initial discomfort and irritation. In fact, recent studies showed that flossing not only helped to improve oral health, but the positive effects on oral health improved overall health too. Some benefits of flossing include:<\/p>\n