Health Podcast 2

Flossing is important for maintaining good oral hygiene and preventing gum disease. Recent studies have shown that flossing helps remove plaque and reduces gingivitis when combined with toothbrushing. While a mouth rinse can also be effective, incorporating flossing into daily routines is crucial for oral health. Flossing was introduced in 1815 and has since become a widely practiced oral hygiene method. It is recommended to floss at least once a day before brushing and to also schedule regular dental checkups. Overall, flossing, along with brushing and mouth rinse, is essential for a healthy mouth and preventing gum disease. Welcome to the Oral Health Podcast, your go-to source for all things related to keeping your mouth clean and healthy. I'm your host, Charlie Cook, and today I'll be diving into the effectiveness of flossing on gingivitis, which is also known as gum disease. Now you might be thinking, what's the big deal about flossing? Why do we need to floss? Well let me tell you this. Flossing isn't just about having pearly white teeth, it's more about keeping and maintaining a good oral hygiene, okay? So by doing so, we're preventing gum disease, and if gum disease is left untreated, it leads to more serious complications, like losing your teeth, which is the last thing anyone wants. But don't worry, because today we're going to break down the science behind flossing, and why it's so important, and why we need to be aware of gum disease and how to prevent it. So to get right into it, gingivitis is a very common concern. It affects nearly half the adults ages 30 and older in our population. But don't worry, because that's why we're here to be aware and educate more on gum disease and how to prevent it. Let's start with a bit of history. Did you know that dental floss was introduced back in 1815 by a New Orleans dentist named Dr. Levy Spear-Palmley? That is right. Dr. Palmley introduced flossing as a means to combat dental disease in 1815, and since then, it has become one of the most practiced oral hygienes in the world to this day. But just how effective is flossing in preventing gingivitis? Well, let's take a closer look at some recent studies. In 2017, Dr. Dannenberg conducted a randomized controlled trial focusing on the effectiveness of flossing. While the results were promising, more recent research suggests that flossing indeed helps prevent gingivitis by removing plaque. For example, a 2021 randomized controlled clinical trial investigated the sequence of toothbrushing and flossing on interdental plaque. The findings were flossing remains a crucial step in plaque removal, contributing to overall oral health. Another study from 2020 reviewed 12 trials and found that flossing, when combined with toothbrushing, significantly reduced gingivitis compared to toothbrushing alone. Now, I want to dive into a specific study from 2014. This study compared the efficiency of dental floss and chloroxidine mouth rinse. The results from the study revealed that both methods were effective. However, the mouth rinse showed slightly better results in reducing plaque on the gingival score. But the results from the study showed significant evidence that flossing is beneficial for oral hygiene. So what does all this research tell us? What do you guys think? I believe that it confirms that Dr. Palmley knew back in 1815 what he was doing. Flossing is a powerful tool in fighting against gingivitis. It is just insane to think about that Dr. Palmley knew over 200 years ago. The evidence from these studies is very clear. Incorporating flossing into our daily lives will help us have a healthy oral hygiene. Having the flossing routine every day will significantly reduce your risk of developing gum disease. You don't want to lose your teeth. This is why we need to floss. So don't forget to grab floss next time you're at the store. Give your teeth the care they deserve. Develop a healthy oral hygiene for your morning and nightly routine. Remember that flossing alone isn't enough. Flossing does help prevent gingivitis, but not entirely. Other factors such as hormonal changes, medications, and of course bad smoking habits contribute to gum disease. As one of the studies mentioned, the mouth rinse is another practice that also helps prevent gingivitis. And of course you need to brush, so flossing or mouth rinse alone will not take care of your oral hygiene. From my understanding, incorporating all three practices will give you the best results for a healthy oral hygiene. So before I wrap it up today, here's a quick oral hygiene tip. Make sure to floss at least once a day ideally before brushing your teeth. And don't forget to schedule regular dental checkups to keep your smile healthy and bright and white. That's all for today's episode of the Oral Health Podcast. Thank you very much for tuning in. Remember, a healthy mouth is a happy mouth. And until next time, keep flossing and smiling. Take care.