If you were hoping recent reports on the scientific evidence supporting flossing, or lack thereof, could let you get away with not flossing your teeth, don't tell your dentist.
Sudbury's dentists will continue to recommend daily flossing as an important component of good oral hygiene, despite an Associated Press report that question the effectiveness of flossing.
“Practically speaking, I am sure any dentist would agree that they have seen firsthand the positive effects of flossing for our patients' oral health,” said Dr. Tim Richards, president of the Sudbury and District Dental Society, in an email to Sudbury.com. “It is easy, quick, and inexpensive, so we will keep recommending it.”
The United States government has recommended daily flossing since 1979, but that ended when the recommendation was removed from the 2015 Dietary Guidelines for Americans.
The Associated Press news agency looked into the removal of that guideline, and reviewed 25 studies that compared brushing and flossing, to brushing alone.
That review concluded the evidence to support flossing – for preventing plaque build-up – was “weak” and “very unreliable.”
But the studies reviewed also had a “moderate to large potential for bias”, because the effectiveness of flossing is notoriously difficult to measure through clinical trials, especially when subjects may not floss properly, may not want to forgo flossing for a study, or may not be completely honest about their flossing habits.
The website Snopes.com published a piece explaining why studying flossing is so difficult and why the results of the few studies that have been done shouldn't be taken as conclusive.
In light of the Associated Press' findings, the Canadian Dental Association has continued to support flossing as one step of maintaining healthy teeth and gums.
“The weakness of the evidence supporting the value of floss in the prevention of gum disease is a reflection of the difficulty of conducting the necessary studies, not of the value of flossing for the maintenance of good oral health,” the association said in a statement. “Brushing, flossing, eating a healthy diet, and seeing your dentist regularly are all steps in preserving a healthy mouth.”
For Richards, dental floss is one tool — but an important one — in a toolbox to keep mouths clean and healthy.
“When the appropriate tools are used, excellent results are easily achievable,” he said.
