Good dental care is important at any age. When taking care of your teeth, you must do more than just brush them. According to the American Dental Association, you should floss twice daily as well. If you think flossing isn’t important, you couldn’t be more wrong. Here are five reasons you should make flossing part of your daily oral care routine.

1. Avoid Hard-to-Reach Cavities

It’s no fun having a cavity, especially when your dentist has to drill out the decay to make way for a filling. Imagine having a cavity between your teeth; not fun. At least when you floss daily, you’ll reduce bacteria buildup in those hard-to-reach areas and can avoid cavities there.

2. Complete Clean

To practice good dental care, you must completely clean your mouth. According to Facts.net, you’re not cleaning at least 40% of your mouth when you refuse to floss. In other words, when you only brush your teeth, your mouth is still susceptible to developing bacteria and other oral health issues like gum disease.

3. Pregnancy

They say a pregnant mother is eating for two. Well, guess what? She brushes and flosses for two as well. When you practice oral health during your pregnancy, it aids in the health of your growing child. According to Delta Dental, when an expectant mother has gum disease, her fetus is at risk for low birth weight and premature birth.

4. Stop Plaque

In the fight against plaque, flossing is just as important as thorough brushing. When you don’t rid all your teeth of plaque bacteria, it only takes as little as 48 hours to permanently stick to your teeth. If it further hardens, it can turn into tartar and later develop into gum disease. If gum disease worsens or goes untreated, it can result in loose or lost teeth.

5. Maintain Overall Health

When you brush and floss, you’re not just tending to the health of your mouth. You also aid in the overall health of your body. Unfortunately, chronic diseases such as diabetes, heart disease, and even respiratory conditions are linked to poor oral hygiene issues such as gum disease.

As you can see, dental care has many uses for your overall health. Flossing at least twice daily helps prevent plaque, low birth weights, chronic diseases, and much more. So bust out that floss at least twice a day and get on the road to good overall health. Call our dental office for more information and an appointment with our caring dental professionals.