If you are like many people, you might not enjoy flossing for one reason or another, or truly understand its benefits. So what is the big deal? What does that string of floss do for your teeth and oral health? The following are four things you should know.

1. Effectiveness – When you pair flossing with brushing your teeth, the cleaning experience is more effective overall. Brushing alone will clean the surface of your teeth if done thoroughly, but the bristles on your brush simply cannot get in between the teeth and down below the gum line where floss can reach.
2. Gum Disease Prevention – When you floss, you are preventing gum disease in your mouth. Any time you put something in your mouth, tiny particles of the food get stuck beneath the gum line. If it is not removed, it begins to build up, eventually reaching the point of gingivitis. This sets you on the path toward gum disease. Simply flossing once per day can dramatically reduce the chance you will deal with gum disease.
3. Savings – Preventative care is much more cost-effective than having to pay for cavities to be filled and tooth structure to be repaired. Purchasing that little box of floss could save you thousands of dollars in periodontal bills.
4. Overall Health – Flossing your teeth does more than just protect your oral health. Diseases such as respiratory illnesses, heart disease and diabetes have been researched and connected to the unhealthy bacteria found in mouths. Flossing is just one step toward preventing those diseases.

As your periodontist in Monroe, CT, Dr. Richard Amato cares about your oral and overall health. With waxed, unwaxed, flossing picks, dental tape, oral irrigators and ultra floss, there is a product out there for you. Contact us today to schedule an appointment and let us see what we can do to improve the health of your smile.