Most people brush their teeth, but not everyone flosses regularly. Many people believe we floss to remove food that gets trapped between our teeth. While flossing does remove food debris it more importantly breaks up the colonies of bacteria. If the oral bacteria is left undisturbed it changes and becomes more virulent, or in other words, more destructive. After 90 days left undisturbed the bacteria is of the type that can eat away at your gum and bone tissue. This leads to not only gingivitis (inflamed gums) but periodontitis – bone loss. When flossing, it is necessary to use a clean piece between each two teeth-or else you are just spreading the bacteria. You can spread infection from an inflamed area to a healthy area by not advancing the floss to a clean section each time. So the next time you’re tempted not to floss, think of the ramifications. After all, it only takes a minute!
