Brushing and Flossing -- Tools For A Fresher Breath

Brushing and flossing are essential for proper dental health. After all, they help remove food debris that gets stuck on and between our teeth -- all of which leads to a cleaner, fresher breather.

According to the 2003 Lemelson-MIT Invention Index, the toothbrush is one of the five inventions which Americans could not live without, beating out the car, the personal computer, the cell phone, and the microwave in that order.

Throughout the ages, men and women have grabbed whatever was handy to clean their teeth. For instance, the first primitive devices were twigs, branches, bones, and feathers. The closest ancestor to our modern day toothbrush, however, was invented by the Chinese in the 1400s. They attached a hog's stiff neck hairs to a bamboo stick.

A few hundred years later in 1770, William Addis, imprisoned for inciting a riot, created the first modern toothbrush in London's Newgate Prison. Most people of that period used a rag to clean their teeth. Addis' toothbrush consisted of stiff bristles attached to a bone he had saved after a prison meal. Once released from prison, Addis became quite successful marketing his toothbrush.

When selecting a toothbrush, it's important to select one with soft bristles. Harder bristles, combined with vigorous brushing, can harm your tooth enamel. It can also lead to receding gums. Don't brush up and down or side to side. Rather, brush each tooth in a gentle, circular motion.

Proper brushing is essential to effectively removing plaque from the surface of your teeth. Plaque, a sticky, transparent residue of food debris and bacteria that coats your teeth after eating, can lead to tooth decay and gum disease. Plaque that hardens is called tartar. This is more damaging and harder to remove. In fact, it's usually necessary to have a dentist remove it.

Dental floss has a much more traditional history, and not at all associated with prison or pig bristles. New Orleans dentist Levi Spear Parmly introduced dental floss in the early 1800s. Parmly was a major advocate of flossing to ensure proper dental health.

Dental floss was finally made available to consumers toward the end of the 1800s, when Codman and Shurtleft, Johnson & Johnson, and other companies produced and mass marketed dental floss.

Flossing is essential in cleaning your teeth because it removes plaque from those areas of your teeth that your toothbrush cannot effectively reach. In fact, roughly 40% of your teeth will never get cleaned properly if you don’t floss. By not flossing, you allow plaque and tartar (hardened plaque) to form at and under the gum line.

When this occurs, you run the risk of allowing bacteria to get under the gums, which can cause gingivitis and more serious forms of gum disease – not to mention bad breath. To get rid of this buildup, you’ll need to see a dentist – and I can assure you, the process can be uncomfortable.

Flossing also polishes your tooth surfaces, increases the blood circulation in the gums, and controls bad breath.

You should floss at least once, but preferably twice a day. Most cavities start between the teeth. To give your teeth a good flossing, spend at least 2 to 3 minutes.

Like brushing your teeth, proper flossing is essential to a cleaner, fresher mouth. Click on the links in this article on how you can more effectively brush and floss your teeth. Got questions or comments? Please post them and we'll respond promptly.