According to a recent study by Ipsos, adults have very odd and sporadic flossing habits. At Medplex, we encourage all of our young patients to floss and we know they will be most successful if their parents set a good example by following suit.
According to the survey:
- 16 percent said they always floss at least once a day (not enough in our opinion).
- 20 percent said they only floss when they need to or when something is stuck in their teeth; and 8 percent said they simply never floss.
- The biggest reason reported for not flossing among those who do not floss at daily is because it’s too time consuming (55 percent). Another 16 percent said it was too painful and 9 percent said they find it gross (flossing takes about 1 minute).
- 44 percent of those surveyed admit they have exaggerated to their dentist about how much they floss when asked.
In addition, respondents in another recent study on flossing conducted by the National Health and Nutrition Survey found that those who floss daily amount to 30 percent of the population. Just over 37 percent report less than daily flossing; slightly over 32 percent say they never floss.
While these results indicate that the adult population may be withholding from their dentists how often they floss, the numbers show that it’s definitely not enough. Flossing has many lifelong benefits, so there is every reason to start now:
Flossing Benefits:
- Prevents gum disease, tooth decay, and plaque; if left untreated gum disease can be a risk factor for developing heart disease, diabetes, and high body mass index
- Prevents bad breath
- Prevents staining in between teeth
To learn more about flossing, click here.
For your kids, start flossing as soon as your child has two teeth that touch. Because cleaning between teeth demands more manual dexterity than very young children have, children are not usually able to do a thorough job on their own until age 10 or 11. Set the right example for your kids! It’s never too late to begin flossing!
Adapted from: https://www.humana.com/learning-center/health-and-wellbeing/healthy-living/benefits-of-using-dental-floss
Adapted from: https://www.usnews.com/news/articles/2016-05-02/how-many-americans-floss-their-teeth
Adapted from: https://www.ada.org/en/publications/ada-news/2017-archive/october/new-survey-highlights-unusual-flossing-habit