Taking care of your teeth is an essential part of your overall health. Whether you are dealing with dental issues or your teeth are in fine shape, you want to ensure good oral health habits are maintained. As part of a healthy dental regimen, you need to brush and floss on a regular basis. Some people may not realize the importance of each activity and how critical they are together. In fact, brushing and flossing serve different purposes. Understanding these differences and how the two combined together have positive oral health impacts is helpful. Columbia Smiles can help.
What Brushing Does for Your Teeth
We all know the importance of brushing our teeth daily. At minimum, brushing at least twice a day is a task most people have grown up doing. However, we should try brushing after each meal, as it helps remove food and plaque that accumulates on our teeth.
Plaque is a sticky white substance that contains bacteria which forms on your teeth. When you eat a meal or snack that contains any sugar, the bacteria in plaque activates acids, that then attacks your tooth enamel.
Over time, the acid works on the tooth enamel and breaks it down, leading to cavities. Plaque also may harden and turn into tartar if it isn’t removed. This makes it more challenging when trying to clean your teeth. Over time, as tartar builds up around your gums, you could experience inflammation and possible gum disease.
How can you avoid these problems? One simple solution is to make sure you brush your teeth regularly to remove the food and plaque.
What Flossing Does for Your Teeth
Flossing is another regular part of keeping your teeth and gums in good shape. While many people may try to skip this part of their routine, it plays a vital role in maintaining good oral health.
Flossing your teeth does an entirely different job than brushing. Propper flossing eliminates approximately 40% of the plaque and bacteria from your teeth. When you don’t floss regularly, plaque can eat away at your gums, teeth, and even the bone structure. Consequently, it can ruin the cosmetic appearance of your smile.
The Difference Between Brushing and Flossing
Brushing and flossing both provide essential functions for your oral health. They both help remove plaque and bacteria. While brushing focuses on the front and back surfaces of your teeth, flossing concentrates on the hard to reach surfaces in between. These narrow surfaces are just as important.
In addition to brushing and flossing, it’s also critical to go to the dentist’s office twice a year for a general dentistry visit. During a cleaning, your dentist will use special tools designed to remove plaque from hard-to-reach areas.
Reach Out to Columbia Smiles Today
Welcome to Columbia Smiles, where we provide general dentistry and other dental services. When you make an appointment for a general dentistry visit, our professional staff will ensure you receive a thorough dental cleaning. During your visit, should we find an issue requiring additional dental work, our experienced staff will discuss the problem, then schedule a follow-up appointment. Or, if needed, refer you to a dental specialist. Some of the dental services we offer include:
It’s important that you visit a dentist. If you need a cleaning, crown, or cosmetic dentistry, it’s time to call Columbia Smiles Family Dentistry. Understanding the differences between flossing and brushing is good, but you also need professional cleanings. Our helpful staff members are waiting to hear from you. Contact Columbia Smiles at 410.690.4855, or contact us online and we’ll schedule your appointment right away.
