I’ve flossed daily for almost 40 years but I quit a couple of weeks ago when I read there wasn’t much evidence in its favor.<\/p>\n
New York Times<\/a>: Clearly, the stuff we\u2019re doing might not make as much of a difference as we think. A couple of weeks ago, many of you were shocked to learn that the evidence supporting flossing daily was as thin as, well, dental floss. That\u2019s just the beginning.<\/p>\n As my colleague Austin Frakt pointed out recently, for adults without apparent dental problems, there\u2019s little evidence to support the use of yearly dental X-rays. This still doesn\u2019t prevent many dentists from recommending them for everyone.<\/p>\n With respect to flossing, this shouldn\u2019t have been news either. A systematic review in 2011 concluded that, in adults, toothbrushing with flossing versus toothbrushing alone most likely reduced gingivitis, or inflammation of the gums. But there was really weak evidence that it reduced plaque in the short term. There was no evidence that it reduced cavities. That\u2019s pretty much what we learned recently.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" I’ve flossed daily for almost 40 years but I quit a couple of weeks ago when I read there wasn’t much evidence in its favor. New York Times: Clearly, the stuff we\u2019re doing might not make as much of a … Continue reading