For those people that have written about the lack of evidence that flossing is beneficial to a person’s dental health I have two things to say:

1. “Slow news day? When you explain the results of this study to me, please speak in another direction so I don’t have to smell your breath.”

2. Life is short, smile while you still have your teeth.

I don’t need a study to prove what I see the evidence of every day, thank you.

If you don’t think flossing has done or can do you any good, ask your dentist how many of your cavities have been, or are (if you haven’t had them fixed yet), between your teeth.

The next time you have chicken or steak or broccoli or celery that gets packed between your teeth, wait as long as you can stand the pressure it creates between them and then, when you finally decide to floss it out, give it a good smell.

As with everything, genetic make up does make a difference. We all know or have read about the 95 year old that attributes long life to a glass of bourbon and a pack of cigarettes every day. Similarly, there are people that don’t brush or floss regularly, but don’t seem to get cavities or significant gum disease.

I have spent my entire professional career seeing the results of good and poor dental self-care every day. While rigorous studies may help in general understanding, I don’t need any study to tell me the very significant benefits that brushing twice a day for two minutes and flossing once a day has on a patient’s dental well being, thank you.

Paul D. Amble, DDS