The Associated Press recently attacked the value of dental floss. The Sacramento Dentistry Group weighs in.
Sacramento, CA, August 16, 2016 (Newswire.com) - A recent Associated Press (AP) report stated that a branch of the federal government is dropping its recommendation for daily flossing as part of healthy eating. The dentists and hygienists at the Sacramento Dentistry Group would like to point out that there is a huge difference between not recommending something and saying that it is not worthwhile. Indeed, while scientific studies on flossing may in fact be lacking, significant professional experience is not! Our dentists, and all the major dental organizations, continue to recommend daily flossing as part of a healthy oral hygiene regimen.
The Question of Proof
The AP has questioned whether there is “proof” of flossing’s benefits. Our dentists and hygienists would like to know if the reporters responsible for this anti-floss campaign actually floss their teeth daily? If not, we also wonder if they have started to experience the typical results we witness on a daily basis in our downtown Sacramento dental practice: bleeding gums, gum recession, gingivitis, periodontitis and tooth decay between the teeth. While our dental staff may not point to specific studies supporting flossing, the anecdotal evidence we see every day — the condition of our patients’ teeth and gums — is all the support for daily flossing that we need.
In explaining the difficulty of demonstrating “proof,” the dentists of the Sacramento Dentistry Group explain: “To make national health statements nowadays requires stringent proof supported by years of research that have been verified through double blind clinical trials. To go from a theory, to a law in medicine requires a plethora of evidence, proof, and years of acceptance…. To date, while we have much research on other subjects, we don't on flossing as it was assumed a given.”
For more information on flossing and experiences illustrating the benefits of using floss, please feel free to contact our dental professionals at 916-538-6900. We are available for comment, interviews and tours of our downtown dental clinic to demonstrate the usefulness of dental floss and other interdental cleaning methods as part of daily oral hygiene. You may also peruse the many pages and blog articles on sacramentodentistry.com dedicated to the subject of flossing for further information and quotations.
Source: Sacramento Dentistry
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