"I Don't Floss"

Dr. Chip Tartaroff, DDF (Doctor of Dental Flossing) answers flossing questions for readers of this blog and the NFC website, www.flossing.org.  Here's a recent question from Moon M:

Dr T,
Okay, so I don't floss.
At all.
Now don't be disgusted just yet!
The reason I don't floss is because I feel like I don't need to.
There are spaces/gaps between ALL my teeth - I'm not kidding.
I don't see how food could get stuck there, I would feel it as the spaces are quite large.
Am I right in my reasoning?
Moon
ps. I wish I could afford braces :(
pps. what's the verdict on adult braces? I'm 23.

Hi Moon,

So you don't floss. Based on how you describe your teeth, you may not need to.

Even though you're not a flosser, I'm glad you decided to write and ask about it.

You probably hear about flossing a lot, and it's made you "flossing curious."

There is a simple way you can figure out if not flossing "at all" is right for you.

Honestly, as I've mentioned elsewhere, for me, the food stuck between my teeth is probably the prime reason I got to be such a floss sympathizer.

Not you, however.

But there are other reasons to floss, and for you, I'd suggest a simple test.

Take a piece of floss and gently run it along the edges of your teeth - especially your back teeth.

Check for two things -

First, does the floss smell?

If you answer yes, it's a sign your brushing isn't cleaning enough around the base of some teeth. The smell is from the bacteria and food debris in your mouth that can cause bad breath and cavities.

The second thing is whether there is blood on the floss.

Since you're not a flosser, and regular flossing does toughen up your gums, even if you're gentle, a little bleeding might happen. But regularly seeing blood on floss or your tooth brush is a sign of sickly gums. Sucking on some vitamin C might be helpful (see "Floss Your Roots," below), but more brushing and flossing will certainly help. Some people have great teeth with few if any cavities but get over confident about their mouth and develop big problems with gum disease.

Gum problems are what I'd suggest you watch out for and use floss to check your gum health from time to time.

Quick note regarding braces -  they work, but they take about 2 years and cost $.

Wiki has a good piece on them: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dental_braces

I've heard about people in their 50s using the new clear braces. By the time you're 25, your braces could be off. If you're lucky, the braces will also be paid off by then.

Thanks again for writing!

Cheers,

Dr. T

Flossing Your Roots?

Dr. Chip Tartaroff, our answerman for all your flossing questions, asked to have this posted on the blog:

Dr. T,

 

I am 45 and recently started daily flossing.  When i floss my front lower teath, I can feel an edge, and assume and I am coming to the end of my enamal , and hitting the root.  It does not hurt, but seems wierd

 

1)do i floss below that lip (so i would be flossing the root?)

2)do i need to have that gum replaced?

Tom  

 

 

Dear Tom,

Thanks for writing!

First of all, I am not a professional dentist and I do not play one on TV.

However, that won’t stop me from offering some common sense comments
in reply to your question, but nothing I say should stop you from discussing your concerns with a dentist.

From what I understand, recession of gum tissue is a fairly common
event and it roughly correlates with age. Complicating the relatively natural amount of recession, gum disease can hasten the process and cause it to endanger the retention of teeth. In your case it sounds
like you have some gum recession on your front lower teeth. One of the primary issues that draws a person’s attention to their gum’s recession is sensitivity of the roots when they’re exposed. This
doesn’t seem to be a problem for you. 

Should you floss those areas?
I’d say yes, based on the scientific principal: If it hurts, don’t do it – and you mentioned flossing didn’t hurt.

As you may know, the normally exposed parts of teeth are covered with enamel. The surface of roots is referred to as “cementum.” Decay can occur in enamel and cementum, so it’s important to keep these tooth surfaces clean, which means using floss.

The second part of your question – Should you have a gum transplant to cover the exposed roots? – Well, a dentist will have to discuss that.
But here are some considerations that might pay to keep in mind:
What is the likelihood that the new gum tissue will survive where your
original gum tissue has retreated?
Some gum recession is attributed to overbrushing. Overbrushing is
something you can change, but it might be best to wait on a painful
transplant procedure to see if changed brushing permits gum regrowth.

Also keep in mind that gums love vitamin C. One of the first signs of
vitamin C deficiency (aka “scurvy”) is loose teeth. Gum tissue grows
rapidly and vitamin C (ascorbic acid) is fundamental for cell growth
and repair. This is a primary reason a shortage of vitamin C shows
itself with bleeding gums and loose teeth. You can’t conclude that all
gum problems and loose teeth are caused by a shortage of vitamin C,
but when these problems occur, a brief period of vitamin C supplements seems reasonable before anything more costly and painful is tried.

By the way, the worst side effect of too much vitamin C is flatulence
(as in “toot-toot”). Sucking on a small amount of vitamin C (30-60 mg)
1 or 2x/day should get your gums all they can use and not cause any
gastric distress. Some cough drops contain vitamin C and make a tasty way of getting a supplement.

Good luck with your gums, Tom!

Floss on!

Dr. T.