Flossing is a crucial step in your oral hygiene regimen. Some people may think that brushing their teeth is enough to keep their smiles fresh, beautiful, and healthy. But you need to floss to get rid of build-up that accrues between the teeth where a toothbrush cannot reach.
Not only could skipping flossing harm your teeth, but you could face serious problems with your gums if you do not floss every day. Knowing the risks your gums could experience without daily flossing can encourage you to prioritize this routine. Read on to learn about three ways that regular flossing will keep your gums healthy.
Prevent Oral Discomfort
Pain in your gums or elsewhere in the mouth is abnormal, and you should not ignore it. If you do not floss as often as you should, you could experience soreness, tenderness, or even bleeding in your gums.
When you floss after not doing so for a while, you may notice that the action hurts and makes you bleed. This happens because plaque and tartar develop between the teeth and disturbing the build-up will irritate the gum tissue.
You can prevent this by flossing every day to stop this build-up from collecting between the teeth in the first place. It will no longer hurt your gums if you continue to floss on a regular basis. Good oral hygiene with daily flossing will reduce your risk of gum disease and other oral health issues, further preventing periodontal discomfort.
Reduce the Spread of Oral Bacteria
Your mouth naturally contains bacteria that will spread across your teeth throughout your day. It generates a gritty film on the teeth called plaque, encouraging bacteria to reach the gums, infect them, and cause serious oral health concerns.
Brushing your teeth will get rid of plaque on the surface of your teeth to stop bacterial spread. But this action will miss plaque that collects between the teeth. Make sure you floss as well so that you can prevent oral infections by keeping bacteria at bay.
Spot Signs of Gum Disease
Gum disease refers to the infection that develops if oral bacteria reach the gum tissue. In the early stages, you can see inflammation in the gums. But as the disease advances, you can see severe deterioration in the teeth, gums, and jaw, including gum recession.
Gingivitis, the early phase of this infection, will not always have noticeable side effects. For this reason, you should attend regular check-ups at your dentist’s office where they can screen for gum disease.
However, flossing can reveal initial signs that you contracted gum disease. Lapsed flossing habits might make the gums bleed. But if gums remain irritated on a chronic basis each time you floss, this could mean you have gum disease.
This infection does not go away on its own, so make sure you tell your dentist right away if you notice changes in your gum health. Gum disease is easier to treat when diagnosed early, so do not delay seeking dental attention.