Dentist in San Luis Obispo Says: No More Excuses

Dr. Amorteguy, your dentist in San Luis Obispo sees a lot of people who take care of their teeth while there are some who forget to do basic steps like flossing daily. Since flossing is such an integral part of keeping your teeth healthy, Dr. Amorteguy is posting this article from Web MD about how you can keep your smile healthy with this simple act:

Do you floss? Or, like many people, do you always seem to find a reason not to? 

A 2008 survey found that only 49% of Americans floss daily, and 10% never floss. That’s most unfortunate, dentists say, because flossing is even more important than brushing when it comes to preventing periodontal (gum) disease and tooth loss.  

"If you were stuck on a desert island and a boat could bring only one thing, you’d want it to bring floss,” says Samuel B. Low, DDS, professor of periodontology at the University of Florida College of Dentistry in Gainesville, and president of the American Academy of Periodontology. “But I’m convinced that the only time some of my patients floss is an hour before showing up in my office.” 

Dentists say they hear all sorts of excuses for not flossing. Yet they insist that simple workarounds exist for just about all: 

Excuse #1: Food doesn’t get caught between my teeth, so I don’t need to floss.Flossing isn’t so much about removing food debris as it is about removing dental plaque, the complex bacterial ecosystem that forms on tooth surfaces between cleanings. Plaque is what causes tooth decay, inflamed gums (gingivitis), periodontal disease, and eventually tooth loss. Flossing or using an interdental cleaner is the only effective way to remove plaque between teeth. 

To continue reading this entire article, Dr. Amorteguy, your dentist in San Luis Obispo recommends going to Web MD: http://www.webmd.com/oral-health/healthy-teeth-10/flossing-floss-sticks?page=1

Deborah Amorteguy DDS

1250 Peach Street
Suite F
San Luis Obispo 
California 93401

805-543-3016

Smile@DrAmorteguy.com

www.dramorteguy.com