Children's Sports and Dental Injuries

Children's Sports and Dental Injuries

5 Reasons Why You Mustn't Skip Flossing

by Lillian Dixon

Flossing can be boring, but it's essential to include it in your daily dental routine. When flossing slips down your priority list, you can find yourself facing serious dental problems. That could mean big dental bills and many uncomfortable hours in the dentist chair. Use these five facts to motivate yourself to floss the next time you feel like skipping it.

1. Your Mouth Is Disgusting When You Don't Floss

Next time you floss after skipping for a few days, take a good look at the floss you just used. Go ahead and smell it, too. The longer you go without flossing, the more foul-smelling plaque builds up between your teeth, causing bad breath and yellow teeth. Yuck!

2. Your Teeth Will Eventually Become Impossible to Clean

If you neglect flossing for long enough, plaque can harden into tartar, which is yellow and scaly. You can't remove tartar yourself at home, so you'll need to have a professional hygienist do it for you. Why not save yourself time in the dentist office by preventing plaque build-up in the first place?

3. Flossing Makes Your Gums Healthier

Perhaps you don't floss because it makes your gums bleed? While it's natural to avoid activities that draw blood or cause pain, you could be missing out on some amazing benefits of flossing. When you floss every day, your gums gradually become stronger and less sensitive. You could even reduce your risk of gum disease!

Studies show that flossing every day can reduce gum bleeding by roughly 40 percent in just two weeks. If your gums are still bleeding after flossing every day for a fortnight, see your dentist for a checkup.

4. Brushing Alone Isn't Enough

Brushing your teeth twice a day is a great start, but it's often not enough for good dental health. You also need to floss at least once a day to keep your teeth and gums healthy, preferably before you go to bed. It doesn't matter whether you floss before or after brushing, as long as you remember to do it every day.

5. There's a Flossing Method to Suit Everyone

If you hate using string floss, that's no problem. You might find floss tape more comfortable, as it is designed to slide smoothly between teeth without cutting into gums. If your teeth are very closely packed, you can use interdental brushes to clean between them. With so many flossing options available, there's no excuse for skipping this vital step in your dental hygiene routine.


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About Me

Children's Sports and Dental Injuries

As a mum, I know how essential sport can be to children's development. Through team sports like soccer, kids learn persistence, sportsmanship and the value of supporting their team members. However, all that learning carries some risk as well, and a stray elbow or a ball to the face can result in oral injuries. I have been the mum rushing to the emergency room with a precious permanent tooth sitting in a cup of milk. Admittedly, at the time, I wasn't even sure if the cup of milk was the right solution. As a parent, you will face those situations, and I'm here to make sure you know what to do when they pop up. With this blog, let's explore children's dentistry and sports injuries together... I want you to have the info you need to stay cool, calm and collected, regardless of how many teeth are on the pitch.