Can flossing help a toothache? Yes, it can only if a toothache is caused by food particles sticking between your teeth. On the other hand, if dental cavities cause a toothache, you need to see your dentist.
Since flossing lowers risk of tooth decay, you should floss regularly to avoid dental cavities that lead to a toothache.
Unfortunately, not all patients floss regularly. Although they brush their teeth after every meal, they fail to floss once a day.
Flossing plays an essential role in maintaining an excellent dental health. A toothbrush can clean the top and outer surfaces of your teeth and gums. But it doesn’t clean in between your teeth.
Also known as inter dental cleaner, floss is designed to clean those high spaces between your teeth. It also eliminates bacteria from the gap between your teeth’s base and the gums.
Your toothbrush can’t reach all places in your mouth. Antimicrobial mouthwash may kill the bacteria; it can’t remove tartar and bits of food that stick in tight spaces.
More and more studies concluded the importance of flossing as part of a proper dental care. It can also do more than just keeping your smile healthy. As it promotes a healthy mouth, flossing regularly can prevent a toothache and other serious diseases.
Protecting Gums
Flossing doesn’t just protect your teeth from cavities, but it also protects your gums. Those places in your mouth that your gums and teeth meet where flossing comes in. In these locations, tiny particles of food can get stuck there. If they’re not removed, they can harden and accumulate over time, forming tartar.
Tartar buildup is known to cause gingivitis, which is a condition that causes swollen gums. It’s also the first stage of gum disease. If this condition is left unchecked, tartar and plaque can spread below the gum line leading to periodontitis. It’s a severe gum disease.
Since floss can get into those tight spaces better your teeth and gums, it’s beneficial to avoid food and plaque from building up.
Reducing Medical Expenses
If a toothache is the result of dental cavities, your dentist may recommend several dental procedures that cost a lot of money. However, if you take proper steps to achieving a healthy mouth, you can significantly reduce your overall dental expenses.
The benefits of flossing go beyond preventing toothache. Studies showed that bacteria in an unhealthy mouth can cause damage to the rest of your body, leading to diabetes, heart disease and respiratory illness.
In addition to that, flossing can also alleviate bad breath or halitosis. We all know how embarrassing this condition is. Because toothbrush can’t eliminate trapped food between your teeth, it can just sit in your mouth and rot. As a result, it gives off would odor. When you floss every day, you can be sure that those food particles are eliminated from your mouth before they can cause damage to your teeth and cause bad breath.
Conclusion
Flossing may not cure a toothache, but it can help in alleviating the pain. If you don’t want to experience a toothache again, make sure that you floss at least once a day.