Flossing is a complete waste of time

Theo_Logia_Teleos wrote:So just because our ancestors didn't have the tech and ability to efficiently remove garbage from between their teeth does not mean they wouldn't have wanted or would have benefitted. Some evolutionary scientist types are logic and reasoning challenged and would argue that because our ancestors didn't and couldn't floss, perhaps they didn't want to and that was the best way things could be and that our gums were "made" for rottage.

Two things: 1. the modern sugar-filled diet is worse for teeth than diets in earlier times (somewhat offset by the reduction of dirt/sand/grit in modern food). 2. Being "made" for "rottage" only matters if it happens early enough in life to prevent reproduction. If the average person was dying at 30 or 40 after reproducing, having sound teeth and gums into old age has no reproductive benefit.

People have actually always cleaned their mouths since before recorded history:

Sloetry in Motion wrote:

There are very few studies that show that wiping prevents ass disease, but I'm going to keep wiping anyway.

Damn! This was my exact thought right as I was scrolling down to this post, thinking of a joke that appeals to common sense...

Sloetry, I'll leave it to you to write the article "Ass wiping is a complete waste of time."

There are some brown nosers out there that may have

Learned bad manners

From articles like those. """ Don't seek cleanliness in teeth flossing! It's a waste of time and don't wipe your butt either

No health benefits proven and wiping the bosses butts gets more money per capita. "

Hercules cleaned the stables

The Hebrews and Hindus thought about how to live ones life very deeply.

The evolutionary thinking of the poster in this thread was good. He or she is destined for good things. Indeed however I see young adults with rotting teeth before the ancestral shortened full life span milestone. Some of my friends were spoiled greedy foolish, wasted great technology, engaged in idiot group think. And were vicious socially.

I've seen friends lose the luster of youth, neglect oral hygiene and lose character. It coincides. Glory to the run, to the toothbrush and good manners, ideas, vision and discourse.

Bad oral hygiene can lead to premature aging too.

Good flossing leads to righteousness, balance, strength, vision and chivalry.

Chivalry holds the world together.

Just pull em out and get dentures. Problem solved. Debate finished.

Morning: Brush and listerine

Night: Brush, floss, scraper to get hard to reach places, then listerine

I know that I'm going to start an old debate :DD but has anyone asked a real dentist this question?

Dentists still recommend flossing - and give away trail packages of floss in post-visit goodie bags.

I picked up a WaterPik (on sale) at Costco. Game changer - will never use regular floss again.

Admittedly I only skimmed the article, but I didn't see anything about regular flossing helping to fight and hopefully preventing bad breath. That's why I floss.

Flossing removes the food particles stuck between your teeth that a tooth brush can't always get rid of. If you're not a regular flosser, smell the stuff that gets on there. It smells gross. That's because it's rotting food.

When I go to the dentist, they first use an electronic device to clean each of my teeth. They then use a metal scraper to scrape and clean all of my teeth. They then brush my teeth.

Tell me why do they then floss my teeth? After the 3 stages of cleaning, i am so ready to be out of there and they pull out the floss.

Flossing works for me.

Once a week, and it keeps my gums strong and not bleeding.

Then mouthwash.

That is how I keep my dental visits to just 2 a year (x-rays every other visit).

That's BS.

Makes a huge difference.

labellem wrote:

I know that I'm going to start an old debate :DD but has anyone asked a real dentist this question?

Yes I have , more than 1 , flossing is old news

Interdental brushing is the new flossing

You can floss maybe once a week to check for debris left over

laughing wrote:

If people change their habits based on the results of one AP investigation (not even a study), against years of wisdom and knowledge, then they're probably just looking for a way to be lazy about their dental habits in the first place.

My story: For the first 25 years of my life, I only brushed everyday, never flossed. During that time, I had only 1 cavity (before I was a teenager). Then, from 25 to 27, I had 7 cavities in 2 years -- all between the teeth. Since then, I've been flossing (in addition to brushing). No cavities since then, either. I just turned 32.

I believe that not flossing eventually catches up with people. It's not intuitive to me that it would stop plaque formation, but little chunks of food caught in between teeth & rotting everyday for years eventually catches up with you.

Agreed. I didn't floss until middle age and it was stupid. I ended up with receding gums and several expensive procedures. Now I floss every night and rinse with salt water. Gums are vastly improved and checkups improved.

However, I still can't get myself to use regular floss. I have no idea how to do that. I use those loop floss picks that are 200 in a package at Target. Cheap and easy. Gobs come out, especially on upper sides.

Flossing is legit. Removes the breeding ground for bacteria overnight. So they start from much less and have only 9-10 hours to grow from small substances instead of large pieces of food caught in your teeth

Flossing is as much if not more for the gums.

Brushing is what's not of much value--except for gums and tongue.

Some of us did all of b that And had fillings galore but still had to clear the decks from tooth decay. Dentures for us poor folks.

Lol!