Dental Floss | Health | Lifestyle
I Floss My Teeth for 33 Days — Here Are the Results
You don’t have to floss all your teeth… Just the ones you want to keep! — Unknown
Let’s start with the fact:
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) study, only 30% of Americans floss daily, and 32% never floss.
As you may know, I am doing +30 day challenges to build healthy and productive habits. But the most critical factor is to build sustainable ones.
Why take the +30 days challenge?
Well, the challenge has two primary goals.
i) To build a sustainable healthy, and productive habit
ii) You cannot build a habit if you are not enjoying it. Therefore, a challenge is a kind of test.
I am proud to say that so far, I have completed +15 30-day challenges, and here is the list if you would like to explore more about my experiential journey.
Brushing our teeth is just a healthy habit built in our unconscious brain that each morning we just pick a brush and start cleaning our teeth. However, when it comes to flossing, it’s the complete opposite.
I used to floss regularly after each dental appointment but did not continue after a week.
I have perfect teeth, except for one. I cracked that one tooth in 2012 while attempting to impress people at a party by opening a few bottles with my teeth. Concurrently, I felt a crack in my tooth; long story short, the filling started, followed by a root canal and a broken head.
I still have that tooth, but it is constantly monitored by my favorite dentist, who frequently sends me to a root canal expert. I know it’s ridiculous. I’m ashamed I tried to open the bottle with my teeth, but that was a lot of fun tho.
Why should you floss daily?
Here are the top 7 reasons you should start flossing every day.
1. Plaque and tarter buildup
2. Gingivitis (a common form of gum disease)
3. Cavities
4. Tooth loss
5. Periodontitis (a severe gum infection that can lead to tooth loss and other serious health complications.)
6. Poor mouth health can cause other diseases
7. Serious infections
I never skipped a day of flossing. When I begin a new +30 challenge, I believe I have developed muscle memory. It’s simply embedded in my system, and my brain tells me it’ll take 30 days, and if you don’t like it, that’s fine, but if you enjoy it and see benefits, you should keep doing it.
How often should you floss?
According to my dentist, everyone should floss at least ONCE a day.
I used this basic Micro Mint Dental Flosser with fresh mint flavor. You can buy at your local grocery store or Amazon(affiliate link). At Amazon, it has more than 70000 reviews, and it’s only $4.22.
What is the best time to floss?
According to American Dental Association (ADA), you can choose the time that fits your daily routine.
I personally did this challenge right before bedtime. Some people love to do it in the mornings.
Should you brush or floss first?
Aha, I would you to ask which came first: The chicken or the egg?
I will leave this debate to you. But here is the tweet by the famous astrophysics, Neil deGrase Tyson.
Let’s not complicate this +30 days challenge; I did it some days before cleaning my teeth and some days after. But most likely not before cleaning my teeth.
Did I see floss results after +30 days?
Flossing is so important. Brushing does not get in between your teeth, but flossing will. — Linda Harkins
Short answer: Yes
I would start to say that starting a +30 days challenge is way better than doing nothing. In this case, it’s highly recommended to at least try it. Let’s jump on the results.
- Mostly I floss before brushing my teeth; therefore, I can rinse away the debris while brushing my teeth. Please buy a basic flosser like this and see if it works for you.
- I posted a NOTE on my bathroom mirror as a reminder to floss. Therefore, I flossed every day, and it’s still there.
- I saw a bit of blood in the first week in my gums, but I didn’t see anything after regularly flossing my teeth.
- I also felt more confident that my teeth were more clean and shining. I don’t know if it’s the actual flossing of the teeth or the mental shift.
- I learned that don’t floss too hard; you might damage the teeth.
- That’s why flossing multiple times a day is not recommended by dentists.
- I was too hard on my teeth the first week that I accidentally pulled hard on the gum tissue, which caused bleeding.
- I’m a huge fan of Philips products and recently bought this electric toothbrush. You can buy using my link on amazon or at your local electronics store. Set the timer for two minutes, and you are done for the day.
The bottom line
The biggest reason most people fail is that they try to fix too much at once — join a gym, get out of debt, floss after meals and have thinner thighs in 30 days. — Marilu Henner
To sum up, just start even if you missed a day or two; it’s okay. As the quote says, don’t go hard on yourself. I know it’s pretty hard to build a new habit. Let’s recall.
- According to dentists, floss regularly (at least once a day)
- Flossing may be done at any time of day or night. It makes no difference.
- Floss before brushing your teeth or after; all good!
- I did not mention any dental paste because everyone has different tastes and millions of options to buy. Please consult your dentist or buy any regular product at your local store.
- Please see your dentist if your gum is bleeding after flossing or has gum disease.
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