Dr. Pushpa Sharma

Are you of the belief that brushing after all your meals is all that it takes to keep your mouth healthy?

If brushing is all that you are doing, you have to re-think your oral hygiene regime. Apart from brushing your teeth, you have to add flossing to your regime if you want to keep your mouth healthy.

No matter how many toothpastes and toothbrushes promise to reach every corner of your mouth, you have to floss to get the tricky bits out. The paste and the brush manage to get plaque off of a large portion of your mouth. But between the teeth, the accumulation of plaque and food cannot be removed by brushing no matter how thin the bristles are. By flossing you not only get the plaque out of between your teeth, you can target areas, which might have food stuck and get it cleaned.

When you floss you are not only protecting your teeth but are safeguarding your gums as well. The tartar that gets built up, at the gums, can cause infections like Gingivitis. As you floss you scrape the tartar away from the gums keeping them healthy.

If you leave the plaque and decaying food between your teeth you are encouraging decay in your mouth. The decay not only causes permanent damage to your teeth and gums but can cause bad breath as well. If you are suffering from bad breath you might just get the floss out and start flossing regularly. So, flossing can also help reduce your bad breath.

Without flossing your mouth is sure to have tartar accumulation that can cause a number of health problems. Some mouth infections can take a toll on your heart. Your healthy smile can also mean a healthy heart.

Flossing and brushing must go hand in hand for the benefit of your oral hygiene. Both are equally important if you do not wish to have painful teeth and gum infections.

'Consult'.

Related Tip: Is it More Important to Brush Your Teeth in the Night Than in the Morning?