By now, we've all had a full week to have that floss out on our counter tops and I just feel positive that we're all flossing before we brush once a day... right?! Perhaps not. But for those of you who have been, I bet you're wondering WHEN your gums are going to stop throbbing!
Well, in case my tips on how to remember to floss weren't enough to get you on board, I'm hoping that helping each of you understand why it's important will convince you... or at least get you one step closer to at least considering getting on the flossing bandwagon. :-)
Nobody likes fire ant's. Nobody. They bite and leave blistered bumps that itch and burn. They build massive mounds out of dirt or sand that kill off your beautiful lawn! And as soon as you go and knock one over (and run for dear life!), they start re-building their home. Annoying, right?!
Believe it or not, this is almost exactly what happens in our mouths regarding plaque. Lets first get an understanding of what plaque is.
In laymans terms, plaque is the sticky biofilm that allows bacteria to collect and live. It is the "hill" for the "ants". Its the bacteria's home. It is soft and usually white or yellowish (stained by the things we eat and drink) and is fairly easily removed at home, by you!
Most all of us remove a large part of the plaque from our mouths daily by brushing. I'll be giving brushing tips later (trust me, most people dont do that right, either!) but we're focusing on the plaque in between our teeth right now. The stuff that our toothbrush cant reach!
But then, when we DO decide to get in the trenches and get our hands dirty and remove that nasty plaque, our gums swell and throb and we think "to heck with this", right?
The issue is this: as long as plaque remains undisturbed, it doesnt seem to cause any problems. We dont feel any pain and therefore think that things are just fine. But what is really happening is that the bacteria (which, btw always collects at and under the gums because that is where it gets its nutrients from... your gum tissue!) is building its home and growing deeper and deeper and deeper under the edge of your gum and destroying the area that your gum attaches to your tooth. As this happens, it also starts to affect (destroy) the bone (because its literally living off that tissue... eating away at your gums and bone...). Our gums and bone are THE supporting structure for our teeth and without them, our teeth can be beautiful and cavity free but be sitting in a cup beside our bed!
So, when we floss we disrupt that "ant hill" and tick off the "ants". This sends our immune system into action. Basically what you need to know about this process is that the immune system is packed with little "pac-men" who go around eating up anything they view as a threat. Pac-men are fairly large and cant fit through the blood vessels naturally so the vessels dialate to allow room for them to get to the area of attack causing the swelling we are all too familiar with. And since the bacteria is attaching itself to our gum tissue, the pac-men engulf both the bacteria and a small amount of tissue, causing tenderness and bleeding.
BUT, there is hope! Just like any cut on our arm that takes time to heal, so as it with our gum tissue. But we MUST continue to clean the "wound" to keep the "ant hill" from re-establishing its home and starting the process all over again. None of us would expect a cut on our arm to heal if we didnt keep it clean, right? But if we do keep any wound clean, it will heal in 7-10 days on average.
Here's the kicker: plaque begins to re-build itself in less than 24 hours. Hence, our recommendation that you floss daily. Its to keep that ant hill on the move! The fact is, we will NEVER be sterile so we will ALWAYS fight bacteria in our mouths. The best we can do is to keep it on the move, limiting the damage it can do.
NOW are you convinced?! This is part of why flossing has been shown to lengthen your life by up to 3 YEARS! The other part of that is that the bacteria that is in your mouth can get into your bloodstream and the same bacteria that causes gum disease also causes HEART disease!
So, while many people say "yeah, my gums bleed, but thats normal" YOU know better! You know that while it may be COMMON, it is NOT normal. Thats like saying its "normal" to have heart disease or arthritis or diabetes. Yes, all of these conditions are common, but no one wants any of them.
Go my friends, and enjoy life. You're just 7-10 days away from the healthiest gums you can have. And may the floss be with you! :-)
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