Having been brought into question by health professionals, flossing is a hot topic of debate at the moment.
So, us good folks over at Ewan Bramley Dental Care, a leading private Newcastle Dentist, thought we’d try our best to dispel some of the myths around keeping your pearly whites clean and healthy.
Over the years, our teeth and our gums take a pounding and face many potential hazards along the way.
But remember, they’re also the toughest substance in your physical makeup, and if you look after them properly they can last you a lifetime.
What are some of the most common dangers?
This week we’ll take a look at the dreaded Gum Disease…
Gum disease happens when plaque (which consists of bacteria), food particles and mucus, builds between the teeth and gums. This can lead to tissue damage, inflammation, and infection.
Gum disease has now also been linked to more serious health problems such as strokes, heart disease, and diabetes.
One of the biggest methods to counteract this, to date, is flossing, but research has brought this into question. So, what is the truth?
Flossing is meant to get rid of and remove plaque and apparently, according to the stats, less than a quarter of us do it.
But, according to the latest Public Health England report, no strong evidence exists that it works. Watch this space everyone!
Rinsing with coconut oil. Does that work?
Rinsing your mouth with coconut oil, believe it or not, is an ancient method that has become extremely popular in the modern world.
How? The oil supposedly binds a thin layer of harmful microbes and pulls it away so we can spit it out.
But again, sadly, there’s no actual proof that it works.
Should we brush our teeth after breakfast?
One of our pet hates, as dentists, is when parents tell their children to brush right after breakfast. It’s up there with one of the worst things we can do. When we eat food this causes an acid build up in our mouths, which softens tooth enamel for a little while.
And if we enjoy a drink of fruit juice, this causes an even higher volume of acid. So, if we brush straight away after breakfast we’re actually brushing away soft enamel. Not a good idea! Neither is rinsing with mouthwash right after a meal. You have been warned!
How often should we brush then?
There are lots of different opinions about how often we should brush, but the official line, in this country at least, is that we should do it twice a day for two minutes.
According to the International Dental Journal, brushing for a whole two minutes twice a day was far better for our teeth than doing it little and often.
Worryingly, over a quarter of us here in the United Kingdom don’t even brush once a day, make sure you’re not one of them!
