4 Take Aways
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Why Floss?
Brushing alone does not remove bacteria in the base of your gums. If you don't floss, your teeth will fall out. Here's how: bacteria starts to eat away at your gums resulting in inflammation of your gums called gingivitis. Gingivitis, if left untreated, turns into gum disease resulting in bone loss. Bone loss causes teeth to fall out. Dentists call gum disease the silent killer because you wont feel any pain until its too late. Flossing is actually more important than brushing.
What Causes Cavities?
When you eat food some if it gets stuck on and between your teeth. Bacteria that are naturally found in your mouth digest the sugars found in the food and release lactic acid. This lactic acid wears away at the teeth and causes cavities. The bacteria will the hide out in the cavities and continue to destroy the tooth until they reach the nerve of the tooth. OUUCH!
Periodontal Disease
80% of Americans have it and it's completely preventable. The bacteria in your mouth that cause cavities also destroy the bone that hold your teeth in place. Bleeding gums are usually the first sign of the problem. As you loose more bone the disease gets worse. Eventually enough bone is lost and there's no more support for the teeth. The teeth start to get loose and will eventually fall out. The worst part is that you typically don't feel any pain until the disease is too far advanced. Did someone say dentures?
Why Brush For 2 Minutes?
Plaque sucks. It's a soft, sticky film that builds up on your teeth and contains millions of bacteria. In order to effectively get it out, it takes at least 30 seconds of brushing per quadrant of your mouth. You have four of them. Top inside, top outside, bottom inside, bottom outside. So unless you want to show mercy and let some bacteria live in your mouth, I'd suggest brushing for the full 2 minutes to effectively remove all the bacteria. Now don't go crazy and over do it. Anything longer than 2 minutes can cause damage to the teeth.
