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Monday 9:00am - 6:00pm

Tuesday -Thursday
8:00am - 5:00pm

Friday 8:00am - 12:00pm

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Monday 9:00am - 5:00pm

Tuesday -Thursday
8:00am - 5:00pm

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Phone: 989-773-3560

900 E Bellows St, Mt Pleasant, MI 48858


 

Dental Floss is Your Friend

It’s amazing at how one story that questions something can gain traction without earning it. Take the story in 2016 that touted how there wasn’t any research out there that showed using dental floss improved your oral health. It based this wisdom on the fact that there had not been any studies in which volunteers were randomly assigned to two groups, a floss group and a no floss group, to see what happened.

That’s probably because for a study like that to be effective, it would have to last at least a decade and it would need a lot of people. It would probably be pretty hard to find enough people willing to not floss at all for a decade to just see what happens.

By the way, there have never been any randomized control studies of smoking either, likely for the same reasons, but there’s not much question if it’s good for you or not.

Regardless of what people say on the internet (who wouldn’t think a vaccine that prevents polio wouldn’t be a good idea?!!), Dr. Egger wants his patients to know that flossing your teeth once every day is a good idea. Well, at least if you don’t want to get gum disease and lose all of your teeth one day.

Here’s why.

Removes 40% of your plaque

Research has shown that flossing does about 40 percent of the work required to remove sticky bacteria, or plaque, from your teeth. You know that plaque stuff — bacteria eat the food stuff left on your teeth, which generates acid, which is what causes tooth decay, and which irritates the gums eventually leading to gum disease.

Each of our teeth has five surfaces. If you don’t floss, you are leaving at least two of the surfaces unclean, with the plaque just sitting there. Flossing is the only way you can get into the space between the teeth to remove any leftover food particles and bacteria.

But don’t just take Dr. Egger’s word for it. What about the Department of Health and Human Services? It says, “Flossing is an important oral hygiene practice. Tooth decay and gum disease can develop when plaque is allowed to build up on teeth and along the gum line. Professional cleaning, tooth brushing, and cleaning between teeth (flossing and the use of other tools such as interdental brushes) have been shown to disrupt and remove plaque.”

What about the American Dental Association? It says, “Cleaning between teeth removes plaque that can lead to cavities or gum disease from the areas where a toothbrush can’t reach. Interdental cleaning is proven to help remove debris between teeth that can contribute to plaque buildup.”

OK, so maybe you shouldn’t take the advice of the leader of the anti-vaccine movement, a former Playboy bunny, when deciding whether to vaccinate your child against rubella. And maybe you shouldn’t take the advice of some bogus internet story that says flossing doesn’t do anything for your oral health.

Dr. Egger’s just sayin’.

Is it time for your next cleaning and exam? Call Dr. Egger at (989) 773-3560 to schedule your appointment.