It would likely be difficult to find a person in the United States who didn’t know that they were supposed to floss at least once a day. At California Dental Group we tell our patients when they come in for their dental exam and cleaning. Yet, not everyone does it. We understand that it can seem as though it’s not that important. This is why we’re presenting you with three of the potential consequences you could suffer from when you choose not to floss daily.
- You could end up with gum disease
- Bad breath
- You could be increasing your chances of other diseases
Gum disease is one of the most common results of not flossing regularly. It causes a host of unpleasant side effects, such as the gums pulling away from your teeth, which leaves space for bacteria to get into. Over time it can weaken your teeth, which can lead not just to more decay but to losing the tooth. The earliest type of gum disease, gingivitis, is known for making gums swollen, red, and likely to bleed.
Bad breath is one of the most common side effects of gum disease but it’s a problem in its own right to. It’s often linked to not brushing or flossing correctly. When the teeth aren’t properly cleaned, food particles can linger for hours or even days. They can begin to stink and the longer you go without brushing, the more they can stink. Bacteria can begin to eat that food put off their own fumes. Finally, your tongue can be the cause of much of bad breath, so if you’re also not brushing or cleaning your tongue then you could be a hot pot of bad breath.
When your mouth is full of bacteria, you inhale that bacteria directly into your lungs. Studies have shown that this is one of the reasons that there’s a clear link between poor oral health and a number of other diseases, conditions, and illnesses. For example, one study showed that taking better care of your oral health could reduce your chance of getting pneumonia by 40%.
Another study showed that a person who has periodontitis (an advanced form of gum disease) is three times as likely to get pneumonia than a person without periodontitis. It’s long been known that periodontitis and diabetes are strongly linked, but the newest research shows that the relationship between the two is likely bidirectional. This means that having poor oral health can lead to insulin resistance because it causes inflammation. Other studies have found that when a patient has both periodontitis and diabetes, treating the periodontitis improved their diabetes control.
As you can see, even though flossing may seem like a minor thing that you can skip, doing so can have serious negative consequences. If you’re due for a dental checkup and / or exam then we encourage you to contact California Dental Group at 800-407-0161 to make an appointment.
