Physical Wellness

Flossing or Mouthwash? Better Dental Care May Require Both Flossing And Mouthwash

By Brian McNeill | Update Date: Apr 26, 2016 04:20 AM EDT

Caring for one’s teeth can be done in many ways with brushing them perhaps the most basic one. It is common practice to do such after eating and traditional for people who start and end the day.

But is tooth brushing enough?

Flossing and the use of mouthwash have now entered the fray which tends to make most ask if they are really needed or simply additional recourses to ensure better dental hygiene.

Both have been known to further ensure the proper removal of common stuff one may get stuck up in his mouth such as plague or some excess food that would normally be wedged between teeth. But are both really required?

Flossing is normally tasked to help remove food particles and plaque which would normally be wedge between teeth. Brushing could help but at times is not 100% guaranteed of removing them. Hence, such is where flossing comes in, something that comes in a cord made of thin elements that does the trick.

Why is this important? Well for one, it helps prevent the buildup of plaque which could lead to primary causes of dental diseases such as gingivitis. The gums are the ones likely to suffer if they are not removed and that could radiate to as much as the loss of teeth.

The reason behind impending tooth loss is simple; bacteria buildup harms the gums and once that happens, the root/s of the teeth will be affected. This is the reason why some people end up with mobile teeth which will eventually have to be removed.

What about mouthwash?

Some ask if rinsing the mouth could be alternately done. In a sense it could but the thing is there is no full guarantee that the plaque and wedged elements between teeth can be fully removed. Mouthwashes are normally used to soften up plaque and kill some microorganisms but removal is put into question.

Hence, the use of mouthwash and flossing could be better if used together. There are some solutions out in the market such as “Plax” or some sort of placebo mouthwash which can reportedly do the trick but best practices still include the use of dental floss.

But as proven in a study, using placebo mouthwashes doesn’t assure one of ridding plaque, meaning turning to it alone may not safeguard folks who want an easier way to handle plaque removal.

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