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> It doesn't worsen your health, it either does nothing or improve it, so it is reasonable to do it There are thousands of wives tales and pseudoscience remedi

> It doesn't worsen your health, it either does nothing or improve it, so it is reasonable to do it There are thousands of wives tales and pseudoscience remedies I don't need to waste my time on. If not backed by actual science, this type of recommendation is no better than any of them.

xenophonf 8y ago
Here's the latest info I found on PubMed: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/30968949 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/30968949 - "Home use of interdental cleaning devices, in addition to toothbrushing, for preventing and controlling periodontal diseases and dental caries." As dental plaque is the primary cause [of tooth decay and gum disease], self-administered daily mechanical disruption and removal of plaque is important for oral health. Toothbrushing can remove supragingival plaque on the facial and lingual/palatal surfaces, but special devices (such as floss, brushes, sticks, and irrigators) are often recommended to reach into the interdental area... Using floss or interdental brushes in addition to toothbrushing may reduce gingivitis or plaque, or both, more than toothbrushing alone. Interdental brushes may be more effective than floss. Available evidence for tooth cleaning sticks and oral irrigators is limited and inconsistent. Outcomes were mostly measured in the short term and participants in most studies had a low level of baseline gingival inflammation. Overall, the evidence was low to very low-certainty, and the effect sizes observed may not be clinically important. Future trials should report participant periodontal status according to the new periodontal diseases classification, and last long enough to measure interproximal caries and periodontitis. Basically, good current dental hygiene practice is to brush and floss like the experts tell you.
- insickness 8y ago
  Interesting. I wonder why there aren't better studies on this, particularly when flossing is so widely recommended.

xenophonf 8y ago

Here's the latest info I found on PubMed: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/30968949 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/30968949 - "Home use of interdental cleaning devices, in addition to toothbrushing, for preventing and controlling periodontal diseases and dental caries." As dental plaque is the primary cause [of tooth decay and gum disease], self-administered daily mechanical disruption and removal of plaque is important for oral health. Toothbrushing can remove supragingival plaque on the facial and lingual/palatal surfaces, but special devices (such as floss, brushes, sticks, and irrigators) are often recommended to reach into the interdental area... Using floss or interdental brushes in addition to toothbrushing may reduce gingivitis or plaque, or both, more than toothbrushing alone. Interdental brushes may be more effective than floss. Available evidence for tooth cleaning sticks and oral irrigators is limited and inconsistent. Outcomes were mostly measured in the short term and participants in most studies had a low level of baseline gingival inflammation. Overall, the evidence was low to very low-certainty, and the effect sizes observed may not be clinically important. Future trials should report participant periodontal status according to the new periodontal diseases classification, and last long enough to measure interproximal caries and periodontitis. Basically, good current dental hygiene practice is to brush and floss like the experts tell you.

insickness 8y ago
Interesting. I wonder why there aren't better studies on this, particularly when flossing is so widely recommended.