Flossing regularly might not sound like something you want to do. Maybe you think brushing your teeth is enough for you. Maybe you just don’t have the time for it. If you want to have a happy smile you can truly be proud of you’re going to want to floss those pearly whites. After all, not flossing regularly can lead to disastrous results.

I have heard all the excuses in the book. I don’t have the time to floss, my gums bleed, even flossing just feels weird to me. I understand where you’re coming from. Flossing isn’t fun, but believe me it is very necessary. When you floss you make sure your mouth is freed from all the germs that can hide in your teeth.

While it is important to brush your teeth to make sure they stay clean and to keep your breath smelling good it can’t clean everything. Your teeth need floss in order to hit those hard to reach areas where germs and pieces of leftover food sit. When you leave food residue and other various germs rest on your teeth it can turn into plaque. Plaque is a film covering your teeth where most of it can be cleaned off by brushing. If you want to make sure you get rid of all of it though, you need to floss. If you don’t manage to get rid of the plaque because of lack of flossing it can get much worse.

Plaque that is left to build up for long periods of time turns into what is known as tartar. You may have heard your dentist tell you about it once or twice during a cleaning session followed by a stern recommendation that you floss more. Tartar is a thick substance that can only be cleaned by dental tools and if left unattended to, can lead to cavities and gum disease. Both of which will prevent you from enjoying a happy smile.

Flossing regularly is very important in the fight against tartar and cavities. Make sure you are flossing at minimum once a day, twice if you can. Simply take a long piece of floss, wrap the ends around your middle finger, and run the floss back and forth between your teeth using your thumbs and index finger.

If it has been awhile since your last cleaning and you are worried about tartar buildup be sure to schedule an appointment with Dr. Van Treese right away.