Whoa. Citations on this? I rememberJeff Donn did an expose on this released by the AP in 2016 and it turns out that there really wasn’t good quality data in flossing at all. Has this changed since then?
Comment on Aha!
TranscendentalEmpire@lemmy.today 5 days agoDon’t go back to that dentist… There’s a ton of research that proves flossing works as intended. Bacteria are really small, they don’t need assistance to go into your gums. The point of flossing is that it removes the food that gets stuck between teeth that bacteria feed upon and multiply.
Imgonnatrythis@sh.itjust.works 5 days ago
TranscendentalEmpire@lemmy.today 5 days ago
Determining what is and isn’t quality data is kinda open to semantic interpretation. The reason there isn’t a huge study like what you see with cancer or heart disease is because something like flossing is dependent on accurate and honest self reporting from participants. And it’s not exactly something you can really tell if your participants are being diligent or not at a large scale.
Imgonnatrythis@sh.itjust.works 4 days ago
Admittedly that’s the best I’ve seen as far as data. TbF, not exactly a “ton of research”. As alluded to in the meme, my dentist always seems to think they can tell at least roughly how well I’m flossing.
TranscendentalEmpire@lemmy.today 4 days ago
There are quite a few more small sample studies out there, like I said it’s just something that is hard to accurately case study at a large scale because it relies primarily on participants accurately reporting a specific habit.
It’s anecdotal, but most dentists claim they can tell if someone flosses regularly. It makes sense, as people who floss more regularly will have less plaque and biofilm building up between teeth.
I don’t really see why people are so skeptical about it. If the main benefit of brushing is to mechanically remove plaque and biofilm from the surface of teeth, it would make sense that mechanically removing the plaque and biofilm between the teeth would also be effective.
Just because there is an absence of a study that encompasses thousands of people for a claim, doesn’t mean there is no supporting evidence. I mean who would even pay for that large of a study for research for flossing anyways, and how would it be conducted?
Tollana1234567@lemmy.today 3 days ago
the other main thing is preventing tartar buildup which exacerbate all those other things.
MoffKalast@lemmy.world 5 days ago
It definitely at least stops plaque from forming, which otherwise irritates the gums so they eventually recede. Some people somehow just don’t get plaque for some reason so in that case it’s maybe pointless, but most people do.
It is funny though how dentists still feel closer to some kind of village shaman, each performing their weird rituals, absolutely convinced that they’re correct and all others are clearly wrong. Probably because they’re not actual doctors and have a horrible monetary conflict of interest to let people have terrible teeth.
ChairmanMeow@programming.dev 5 days ago
Brushing twice a day, properly (with good toothpaste and a good electric toothbrush) basically eliminates the need for flossing.
MoffKalast@lemmy.world 4 days ago
Nope, not even with an electric one.
ChairmanMeow@programming.dev 4 days ago
A proper toothbrush has bristles for that specific purpose… Proper toothpaste gets into those areas too to help remove any plaque. If you maintain it properly, there’s no reason to floss in addition.
In fact, flossing is a terrible way to remove plaque. The wire itself doesn’t provide enough friction to remove just about anything. It’s why the US government hasn’t recommended daily flossing since 2016. It’s nice you can get a wire in between your teeth, unfortunately you’re not really cleaning anything with it there.
If you find you’re still building up plaque even after brushing thoroughly, use a toothpick instead, that is a more effective way to clean it.
Trail@lemmy.world 4 days ago
No.
Tollana1234567@lemmy.today 3 days ago
toothbrushes dont go between the teeth.