There are many suggestions about how many times each day you should floss your teeth. The American Dental Association recommends you do it once per day, while others say it is always best to floss after you eat. So, in order to really answer the question, it is important to take into account your own oral history.
The reason why the American Dental Association says that flossing once per day is ideal is that it takes 24 hours for plaque to build up between the teeth. So flossing more than one time each day doesn’t really do much, except to irritate the gums. Flossing more than one time each day can actually do more harm than good for some people. However, if you are eating things like ribs, corn on the cob and other foods that easily stick in between your teeth, it’s best to floss after you eat these things; having food stuck between your teeth around your gums is a prime example of what exactly leads to gum infections including gingivitis.
You can floss more than once per day if you feel that there is too much plaque buildup in between in your teeth. If you’re not getting the plaque out, it could mean that you’re not flossing correctly or you keep missing that spot. Even if you do floss every day it important that you constantly check your gum line and in between your teeth for any hidden areas of plaque buildup. You can also buy dental tools to scrape off plaque, or tartar, stuck on your teeth. It is imperative to be careful when doing so, because using these sharp tools can be harmful if not doing it correctly or if you slip and cut your gums. Our Plantation partners at Whole Life Dentistry by Dr. Vallejo recommend flossing once a day unless you ate food that will stick between your teeth…so it’s always important to keep in mind what you are eating and how you are brushing throughout the day.
Too much plaque buildup between the teeth and along the gum lines can create serious dental issues down the road. it is actually inevitable that you will have some type of oral problem if you ignore the plaque buildup. This creates harmful bacteria that can spread deeper into the tooth and you may end up with an infection. The worst thing that can happen is an infection that gets down to the bone. This happens more often than you would expect so it’s better to be safe and keep on flossing!
Another reason for flossing is to prevent the shifting of your teeth due to too much plaque. It also makes it harder to floss properly if you ignore it for too long. At that point, only a trip to the dentist for a professional cleaning will be able to alleviate all of the plaque buildups.
How many times you floss each day is up to you, but keep in mind that you don’t want to overdo it since that can cause gum irritation. If you floss once per day that should be enough to keep your mouth happy and healthy!
Source: