Why Floss? – Ask Dr. Farooq Sorathia
The Importance of Flossing Correctly
When I ask my patients how many times do you floss, many say to me “Doc I stopped flossing because my gums bleed.”
One of the signs of diseased gums is bleeding when touched. This condition is called Gingivitis. Gingivitis is a term used to describe bleeding gums that are caused by the accumulation of microorganisms (plaque), or systemic diseases such as leukaemia. When an individual has gingivitis, the frequency of flossing needs to increase rather than decrease. Routine checkups with your dentist will minimize the risk of developing gingivitis and also rule out any other conditions of the body. If your gums bleed for a few days or generalized around the mouth, it would be best to visit your dentist to assess the condition of your gums, and if necessary, do a professional cleaning. It is believed that the mouth is the mirror of the body, and dentists may be the first to identify more serious conditions. Bleeding gums can also signify infection in the gums and need to be addressed. Improper flossing can cause trauma to the gums
and cause bleeding gums. This, however, isn’t considered gingivitis.
The main cause of bleeding gums generally is plaque accumulation due to improper brushing and flossing. When food gets stuck in between teeth, the bacteria within the plaque consume the food debris and produce inflammatory chemicals as byproducts, and these cause an inflammatory response from the gums and this would result in bleeding. Brushing your teeth alone will not clean in between the teeth and this is where flossing helps. When flossing, you are supposed to run the floss against the tooth and just very slightly below the gum line. Some people take the floss so deep under the gum, this causes trauma to the gums which makes them bleed and then eventually causes recession of the gums resulting in exposure of the root and then sensitivity.
People underestimate the importance of flossing. Just passing floss through the teeth isn’t going to be of any benefit, but doing it correctly, will help keep those pearly whites for years and years. It is important to ask your dentist to teach you how to floss correctly. Dentists usually joke to say you don’t need to floss all your teeth, you just need to floss the ones you want to keep. So now the choice is yours, pick and choose which ones you would like to keep!
