A glance at flossing by the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry @TheAACD may elicit a laugh, but only because it’s not far from the truth. Their disproportionate pie chart suggests that more people are more likely to admit their age or weight than a dirty little secret: daily flossing is not part of the routine.
Meanwhile, studies and research continue to suggest poor oral health as the unexpected gateway to everything from erectile dysfunction, dementia, pneumonia, pregnancy complications and the obvious path to bad breath, tooth loss and gum disease.
Lauren F. Friedman extrapolates on those topics as part of Businessinsider.com’s “13 Awful Things That Happen If You Don’t Brush and Floss Your Teeth.”
This suggests that maybe it’s time to face the truth and help your patients do the same.
Maybe the answer is to fight flossing procrastination with fun:
GumChucks Kids, The Ultimate Attack on Plaque® features a two-handle system, with disposable tips connected by a piece of dental floss.
Or find a workable path to incorporating floss into your day. In his HuffingtonPost.com column “How to Make Flossing A Habit,” Dr. Mark Burhenne suggests that even a small step, such as sticking a blank note to a bathroom mirror, will act as a reminder and encourage the positive process.
The founder of @askthedentist references Pulitzer prize-winning reporter Charles Duhigg’s @cduhigg book, The Power of Habit.