Patient confessions The weird, wacky and gross substitutes for dental floss
18 October 2023
Patient confessions
The weird, wacky and gross substitutes for dental floss
By Dr Sulaman Anwar, a registered Specialist Periodontist with a Master’s Degree in Periodontology
When patients food stuck between their teeth, and have no access to floss or interdental brushes, this is what some of them have confessed to using to dislodge it according to gum disease specialist Dr Sulaman Anwar:
- A strand of hair
- A credit card
- House keys
- A pen lid
- A paper clip
- Chewing gum
- Hair pin
- Paper
- Finger nails
It is very important to clean in between the teeth. Research shows us that if we do not floss or use interdental brushes between the teeth, we are missing 40% of our tooth surfaces.
Dr Anwar advises why using ‘tools’ that haven’t been designed for the job is inadvisable and why cleaning between the teeth is vital to your dental and overall health. There is already a lot of evidence that has confirmed a link between gum disease and diabetes. There is also strong research linking gum disease to other conditions like Alzheimer’s, dementia and heart disease. Newer studies have also linked gum disease as a risk factor for a fatty liver and vice versa.
Flossing always has its challenges. The string can often cut into your fingers and if used incorrectly can often cut into your gums. You must have good dexterity to be able to get the floss in properly between your molars (back teeth).
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