You Probably Didn't Need to Floss All This Time
By Suzannah Weiss
Well, this is awkward. Remember those PSAs you used to watch in school—not to mention the advice your dentist always gave—telling you to floss every day? That could've resulted from marketing by dental care companies more than actual evidence. The Associated Press attempted to find some scientific proof behind this idea that you should floss every night, and their investigation produced just about nothing.
Twenty-five studies on the effect of flossing on dental health compared with brushing your teeth alone all failed to find either a strong benefit or any benefit at all to flossing. "The majority of available studies fail to demonstrate that flossing is generally effective in plaque removal," one review concluded. So, basically, what you learned in school is wrong. The studies that did show slight advantages to flossing mostly used unreliable or outdated methods. On top of that, some studies are funded and designed by flossing companies, which introduces bias for obvious reasons.
The AP also pointed out that the government quietly dropped flossing from its dietary guidelines this year. When the news service reached out, a government representative told them this recommendation failed to meet one of their biggest standards: Its effectiveness hasn't been scientifically proven.
Does this mean you shouldn't floss? There isn't much evidence showing it's bad—there's just not much showing it's particularly good either. So, basically, researchers need to get on that.
In the meantime, it's possible for flossing to damage gums and teeth, according to the AP, but a lot of dentists are still insisting it removes plaque. Until we know more, your call is probably as good as anyone's, so do whatever seems to work for you.
Topicsteethflossing