Antioch Dentist Explains Why the Most Ignored Dental Routine is Necessary

If you’ve made a dental appointment in the near future, brace yourself for the inevitable question: “Have you been flossing regularly?” Unfortunately, a majority of patients don’t floss a lot, if ever, for a number of reasons. Patients don’t find flossing to be as important as simply brushing their teeth, although it’s necessary for their daily dental routine. Your Antioch dentist explains why flossing regularly is one of the main keys to keeping your oral health intact.

Flossing is a necessary step in your cleaning regimen because it’s cleaning in between the spaces of your teeth, which brushing lacks. Brushing your teeth only cleans the surface of your teeth and gums. The floss goes where your bristles can’t reach, so if you don’t clean those spaces, you’re allowing food particles and bacteria to linger. If this sticks around for too long, you’re more likely to suffer from cavities, tooth decay, and eventual tooth loss.

Not only will flossing protect your teeth, but it’ll protect your gums, as well. This is a major reason that flossing is necessary because your gums are directly affected by the bacteria. If your diet is bad, contributing to your subpar oral hygiene, you’re at a much higher risk of getting gingivitis. Gingivitis is the build-up of tartar over time and is also the earliest stage of gum disease or periodontitis.

Suffering from gum disease causes severe inflammation in your mouth, extreme tooth decay, and eventually tooth loss. Gum disease weakens the structure of your gums and bones so there is not enough support to hold your teeth in. By the time periodontitis is present, it’s irreversible and needs to be constantly treated by your dentist.

Unfortunately, tooth loss isn’t the worst thing that can occur. If your gums and teeth aren’t properly taken care of, the bacteria can spread through your bloodstream from your gums and eventually lead to heart disease, diabetes, and respiratory issues. Allowing bacteria to spread through your body will only cause much more issues down the road.

While flossing seems tedious, it can save you from many medical problems down the road. Contact your Antioch dentist by calling this number (925) 777-1719 or clicking here to request an appointment.