** Check out the proper way to floss above! **

We all know that we have to brush our teeth at least twice a day, but how often are you flossing your teeth? Every time you brush? Only when you feel something stuck in between? Do you ever wonder, "Why are my gums bleeding?" 

Regular flossing helps your gums and teeth stay healthy and strong. Flossing in between your teeth helps get rid of those food particles and plaque that are in those hard to reach areas that sometimes your toothbrush cannot reach. You sometimes may not see it in the mirror, but trust us, it is doing damage to your teeth. As the plaque and food sits in between rotting away and causing bad breath, it is breaking down your tooth little by little, without you even noticing. Eventually, it leads to severe tooth decay, gum infections, and gum diseases. 

Bleeding gums tends to happen when not enough flossing is being done. The buildup of bacteria, plaque, and tartar rest along your gum line irritating and inflaming your gums. When you attempt to remove that buildup by flossing, your swollen, inflamed gums start to bleed. If only a little bleeding occurs, do not be alarmed, it just means that not enough flossing has been done. Continue to floss daily and slowly it will subside. However, if excess bleeding continues, please visit one of our wonderful dentists (Dr. Huang, Dr. Brodsky, Dr. Hanamova, and Dr. Leung) to get your teeth examined for possible dental treatment. 

Flossing doesn’t just help keep your teeth clean and healthy, but it is also linked to your heart health as well. Most infections, especially in your mouth, cause a spike in your system that causes the levels of inflammatory substances in your blood to promote blood clots and slow blood flow to the heart. Researchers have found that the bacteria in your mouth infection can easily enter the bloodstream and impact your cardiovascular system. 

Our lovely and gentle dentists here at Live & Smile, recommend that you at least floss once at night. This will help minimize the gum infection and bleeding, while working to keep your smile at its best. Dr. Zoe Huang suggests to “wrap around the tooth like a letter "C" and go up and down around the tooth.” 

Our amazing Dublin dentists love that our patients practice and continue to floss daily to help keep those pearly whites at its tip top shape! Flossing is a simple, easy, and low cost way to prevent cavities and boost your oral hygiene, as well as your overall health. Also, saves you money on future dental treatment! 

Just remember, that flossing: 

1. Gets rid of plaque 
2. Reduces the risk of cavities 
3. Helps prevents gum disease 
4. Reduces bad breath 
5. May help your heart health 
6. Saves you money