You may have heard recently that the Associated Press looked at over 20 different studies to assess the effectiveness of flossing. Their findings were quite surprising: they said there were little to no benefits! However, many dentists are raising an eyebrow and sharing their take on these studies. For instance, Michigan dentist Susan Maples says that when her patients floss, their gum issues get noticeably better. She says that if you don't floss, then your gums will become a gateway for bacteria to easily infiltrate the bloodstream. You can hear more about Dr. Maples's findings and take a look at both sides of the argument in a Fox 47 news report: [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lXW0IzdEIgQ[/embed] If the Fox 47 News interested you, you may also want to take a look at a CBS News report:
Just like the Fox report, CBS also invited a proponent of flossing--and big surprise, it was a dentist with numerous years of experience. The dentist--Dr. Steven Glassman--had similar experiences as Dr. Susan Maples: that their patients who started flossing again were able to reduce their oral issues. Since dentistry is a scientific, medical-based field, one has to wonder why there is such a disconnect between these studies and what dentists are actually seeing. Another dentist--Dr. Tim Iafolla--may have some answers. Like Dr. Glassman and Dr. Maples, Dr. Iafolla can also testify that he can tell when an individual does or doesn't floss. He says that news reports are misconstruing the evidence. Just because no benefits were found doesn't mean that they don't exist. Because gum diseases can develop gradually, longer studies may be required for more accurate results. Iafolla also says that there have been smaller studies that have clearly shown benefits if the flossing is done correctly. If a person is sawing back and forth with the floss, they could actually damage their gum tissues--so of course, flossing will only be of benefit to a patient if they're using proper technique. Even though there have been negative studies, The National Institute of Health released a blog post this month that pointed out that there were studies showing that flossing reduced gingivitis:
So if a patient goes in for oral exams and his or her dentist recommends flossing, they may want to heed the warning. Because there have been studies for and against flossing, it could be confusing to know which ones are more sound--but that's where a dentist's experience comes in. And since flossing is such an easy, low-risk habit, it seems that a dentist's recommendation should trump these studies, especially if a patient has oral issues. After all, what do they have to lose? The post Why Dentists Say Their Experience Trumps Recent Flossing Studies appeared first on Dental Oasis Of Orange County. Dental Oasis Of Orange County 7777 Edinger Ave #232 Huntington Beach, CA 92647 (714) 894-7700 [email protected] Google My Business Listing Google Map Directions to our office Yelp Page via Blogger Why Dentists Say Their Experience Trumps Recent Flossing Studies
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