Why We Floss

(1)

The reason as to why we floss and brush our teeth is so that we can remove the bacteria that accumulate in our mouth. There are a lot of bacteria that call our mouths their home. It is up to us to make sure that we do what we can to remove these bacteria so that our mouth can remain healthy and thus the rest of our body can too. If these bacteria are not removed, they survive in our mouth by feeding on the food that we eat which does not make it past our mouth into our stomach. As these bacteria eat these food particles, they produce acid. This acid is what causes our teeth enamel to disappear causing us to have what is known as cavities. They also release what are called sulfur compounds and what this does is cause us to have bad breath. Furthermore these bacteria are attached to the surfaces of our teeth and form what is known as plaque. Thus plaque is the white, sticky layer found on our teeth that contains all this bacteria, that is why it is important that we remove it. We can remove most of this plaque by simply brushing our teeth; however we need to floss in between our teeth because the bristles of the toothbrush are too wide and cannot gain access to the area in between our teeth. We need to brush at least twice a day.

Importance of Flossing

Flossing is important because it removes plaque from in between our teeth, the place that a toothbrush cannot get too because the bristles will not allow it. If this plaque is not removed then it begins to gather and cavities begin to form on our teeth.

Here are a few benefits of flossing:

-Flossing reduces bad breath

-It prevents calculus from forming

-If bacteria is not removed then we could get inflammation. This inflammation could lead to periodontal disease.

Flossing is just as important as brushing our teeth.

Reference

(1) Barkhouse, n. (2007, September 30). Grassroots 20001 - Health. HRSBSTAFF Home Page. Retrieved December 8, 2011, from http://hrsbstaff.ednet.ns.ca/nbarkhou/health/grade3.html