I always hope that more people talk about dental floss - but never!

So far, everyone has read or heard about the Associated Press article "shading the floss." Summary: Last year, according to the Freedom of Information Act, the Associated Press asked the Ministry of Health, the Department of Human Services and the Ministry of Agriculture to provide evidence of flossing use of the publication. When the flossing recommendations were removed from this year's federal diet guidelines, the Associated Press thought they were doing something, so they decided to look at the existing research.

The Associated Press reviewed 25 studies comparing the effects of brushing teeth with brushing and flossing, and concluded that the previous study of flossing was actually not in line with the Ministry of Health and Human Services. The standards required in the dietary guidelines. NES. The Associated Press said that the government's research has a short duration and a small sample size.

This article spread like wildfire. People quickly concluded that dental floss is not good for health, so people can stop using it.

Let us be clear about one thing. No research, of course, no dentists, would claim to even suggest that flossing is harmful. You will have a hard time finding a study that concludes that improving a person's health by eliminating dental floss from her oral health routine. In fact, most studies have concluded that, despite limited data, the potential benefits of flossing outweigh the risks.

For example, an academic review in 2012, while cautious about its conclusions, stated that “although the quality of most studies is uncertain or low, and considering the importance of avoiding plaque deposition, plus no major disadvantages Factors that support the use of conventional floss to clean plaque. In other words, we have some research that shows it is good, no research shows it is bad, so let's continue to do so - especially because we know the appropriate Dental floss can help remove plaque, which can lead to tooth decay, gingivitis and periodontal disease.

I say "appropriate floss" because this is an important term that may be overlooked by some people in their fur or ineffective floss. In a 2006 study entitled "Flossing and Interdental: A Systematic Review," the researchers wanted to see if flossing at home was as healthy as flossing for professionals. They recruited 808 children between the ages of 4 and 13 and divided them into three groups: children who worked five days a week; children who worked once every three months; and children who reported flossing at home.

The study lasted for 18 months and the results were not surprising. Subjects who received 5 days of professional flossing per week had a 40% lower risk of tooth decay. The other two groups, the professional floss once every three months, self-reported family floss, did not show any reduced risk of tooth decay. And this beginning seems to give some feeds "stop using floss". In the crowd, it is very important to figure out what the research shows. Researchers have not come to the conclusion that flossing does not prevent tooth decay; they conclude that proper flossing is key.

Therefore, the conclusion of this study is that the correct use of dental floss can enhance the oral health of patients.