Why is Flossing So Vital?
A trip to the dentist is a pretty standard affair – at least when it comes to your general checkups. There’s always your standard cleaning, a bunch of latex-tasting fingers in your mouth, and aside from the other general dental procedures, there is undoubtedly going to be “the talk”. The talk that every dentist gives you, no matter if you had the cleanest mouth on record, or a mouth rife with cavities – your dentist will almost always say you need to brush more, lay off the extra cup of coffee, less sugary sweets, and of course, everyone’s favorite, “Do you gloss?….well you should absolutely floss more”. While this might just seem tedious, because who has time to floss anyway…. right? Wrong! Flossing is one of the most important things one can do for their own oral health and wellness. As a dentist himself and periodontal specialist, Dr. David Malakov has treated countless patients for some of the most severe oral health conditions around, and in the periodontal world, that is definitely saying something. According to Dr. Malakov, “as a periodontal specialist I see some of the roughest and craziest oral health conditions. And while these conditions require highly invasive surgery and dental extractions, sometimes they can all easily be avoided with better oral hygiene practices.”
One of the most important things to note about dental and oral health is that the majority of such issues are preventable, and the smallest little issue can snowball over time, into some of the biggest and worst issues imaginable. These issues can range from common occurrences like cavities, or the need for dental extractions, or far worse cases in which patients will suffer massive tooth decay, rotting gums, infectious diseases and much more! The interesting part is that while these procedures can cost you, or your insurance tens of thousands of dollars, put you in massive pain, keep you out of work for weeks, and waste valuable time in your life – they can all be avoidable with the purchase of a 99 cent pack of dental floss! According to research, the most common oral health conditions that come about in those that do not floss regularly, are:
· Gingivitis
A type of gum disease that occurs mainly due to poor hygiene. As a periodontal specialist, Dr. Malakov has seen hundred of cases of this condition. In the most advanced scenarios, it can lead patients to issues like tooth loss, swollen/bleeding gums, receding gums, and gum loss. Treatment for the actual condition itself involves a professional cleaning as well as oral rinses. However, Dr. Malakov must also often treat the affects that gingivitis had on the patient’s teeth and gums.
· Cavities
These are extremely common in everyone from young children who eat too much candy, to corporate executives who are always on the go and not paying enough attention to their oral health. Cavities are permanently damaged areas in teeth that develop into tiny holes. Cavities are chiefly causes by similar issues include bacteria, snacking, sipping sugary drinks, and poor teeth cleaning.There may be no symptoms. Untreated cavities can cause toothache, infection, and tooth loss.Treatments include fluoride, fillings, and crowns. Severe cases may need a root canal or full dental extractions.
The thing is that you simply must floss, and there’s no reason not to! Its very simple, doesn’t take much time, money or effort. In fact, if that simple motion is too much for you, they now make dental flossers, toothpicks, interdental brushes and even battery-powered or electrical flossing devices. For more information on all manner of oral health issues contact Dr. David Malakov today.
