We’ve heard it all before. I don’t have time to floss. I always forget. It hurts. I’m no good at flossing. Whatever your excuse is for skipping your daily flossing, it’s time to start up the habit again and stick with it. Most changes to your oral health care routine will have immediate benefits, so you feel rewarded and want to continue. Flossing takes some dedication since the rewards aren’t immediately apparent. For the first few days you are flossing properly, you will likely experience some soft tissue inflammation and discomfort. However, this should improve after about a week of diligent, daily flossing, and you’ll begin to notice improvements in your oral health, especially at your six month exams. Flossing reduces the risk for gum disease and tooth decay. One other change many patients notice when they start flossing daily is improved breath. In this post, we’ll discuss how adding flossing to your at-home preventive dentistry routine can improve your breath and overall oral hygiene.
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