How Many U.S. Adults Lie About Flossing?

Over a quarter of U.S. adults, specifically 27 percent, admit to lying to their dentist about how often they floss, as per a national survey. Some people hate the idea of flossing and find it a painfully dull process. The American Dental Association recommends flossing at least once a day to help remove plaque and food debris, reaching areas between teeth your toothbrush can’t.

If you don’t floss regularly, plaque builds up, calcifies, and hardens into tartar. Flossing can also help you avoid gum disease and cavities—you can floss before or after brushing, but the most important thing is that it gets done. Children need to floss too and should begin as soon as they have two touching teeth. Since flossing demands more manual dexterity than children have, it’s important that parents help their children floss until they’re 10 or 11.

"There's clearly more work to be done when it comes to educating Americans about the importance of oral hygiene," said AAP President Joan Otomo-Corgel. "There are more than 500 bacterial species that can be found in plaque, and brushing alone does not remove the bacteria that live below the gum line.” There are two types of floss—nylon and PTFE. Nylon floss is available waxed and unwaxed with a variety of flavors, and it’s composed of many strands of nylon, which may tear or shred between teeth. PTFE is a little more expensive but slides easily between teeth. They’re both excellent for removing plaque and debris—it just depends on your preference.

Also, water picks can destroy plaque and debris between teeth and under the gums, using a jet stream that can clean the interdental gaps and sulcus. To use the pick, just point the stream at the sulcus and move from the back to the front around each tooth. If your gums bleed the first time, this may be a sign of inflammation that go away after a few days.

Water picks are ideal for individuals who hate flossing and can be a nice way to get into the habit. They’re essential for anyone with braces or bridges, allowing users to get into hard-to-reach areas easily. These oral irrigation systems are at most retailers: there are lightweight cordless models, manual pump picks, automatic picks, and some models that allow you to adjust speed and water pressure with different jet tips. The goal is to find a flossing method you enjoy, so you don’t have to lie to your dental professional in the future.

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