What makes up your oral health routine? Do you brush twice a day or make sure to visit your dentist for a checkup every six months? Even if you do those things, you may be missing out on one important bit of daily maintenance: flossing. If you think of flossing as an optional part of your oral health routine, think again! The team at ZDental knows that there are many benefits to flossing every day. Here are some reasons why you may want to change your habits and add flossing to your daily routine:

Flossing Prevents Tartar Buildup

It may not be pleasant to think about, but your mouth is home to millions of bacteria, fungi, and other microorganisms. These microbes make up your mouth’s biome, and they’re actually crucial to your normal bodily functions like digestion. While they are necessary, they can create problems if they get out of control. One issue they can cause is tartar buildup.

What is tartar? It is the calcified remains of dead mouth bacteria. When your mouth bacteria die, they create a film that covers every surface in your mouth, including the teeth. If you remove them every day by brushing and flossing, they won’t build up and become tartar. If you don’t get rid of them, they calcify and turn into tartar, which irritates the gum tissue and tooth roots. If left unchecked, tartar buildup can lead to gum disease, tooth loss, bad breath, severe infections, and more.

You Can Reduce Bad Breath by Flossing Every Day

As you may have gathered, your mouth bacteria release byproducts that have an unpleasant odor. If you have a lot of bacteria in your mouth, the odor can become unpleasant and overpowering. If you want to keep your mouth bacteria under control, it’s best to brush and floss every day to keep your bacterial colonies small and your mouth odor-free.

Adding Daily Flossing is More Effective than Brushing Alone

Brushing is an excellent way to keep your teeth clean, but it can’t get the job done alone. Even the most technologically advanced toothbrushes will miss the areas between your teeth and along the gum line. If you want to stop tartar buildup in these areas, floss is the only way to do it.

Daily Flossing Can Prevent Gum Disease

Gum disease, or periodontitis, is a very serious condition that can cause tooth loss, infections, and even death. The best way to prevent it is by maintaining a robust oral health routine that includes brushing twice per day, flossing once per day (and after meals if you wish), using mouthwash once a day, and visiting the dentist twice per year. Each one of these components is partially effective on its own, but using all of them together will greatly improve your overall oral health.

If you have questions about the benefits of flossing or the proper flossing technique, ZDental would be happy to speak with you about it during your next dental checkup. If you live in the Philadelphia area or you need to find a dentist’s office in Trenton, NJ, or surrounding communities, ZDental has multiple locations in the area to serve you. Visit our contact page for a list of locations and fill out the online form or call the location nearest you to make an appointment today!