My reading for pleasure has slowed downed dramatically in the past few weeks, and I’m not really sure why. Hopefully, I’ll be able to get back into the habit soon.
What this means is that I am still reading the book I first wrote about two months ago, Alchemy: The Dark Art and Curious Science of Creating Magic in Brands, Business, and Life by Rory Sutherland.
The book is wonderful, and as I noted in my post from a couple of months ago, I would likely get one or two more posts out of it.
And so here we are.
Sutherland claims that we do many things out of habit, and we may not really be sure why we are doing it.
One example he uses is that of flossing.
Sutherland notes that a recent report (2016) proved that there were no dental-health benefits to the practice of flossing.
I was taken aback when I read that. I was a daily flosser.
One reason for such a habit is that I had read somewhere that flossing everyday adds about six years to your life. That seemed like a pretty good return on investment: 45 seconds a day for an extra six years of life? Count me in…
According to these claims, daily flossing adds 6.4 years to a person’s life; flossing and overall dental health reduces the chances of infectious diseases and has other beneficial effects.
Given such a precise number, I had little reason to doubt the claim.
But then I came across this discussion in Sutherland’s book, which mentions another study, a more recent one.
In 2015, the Associated Press asked the departments of Health and Human Services and Agriculture for evidence to support its recommendations on flossing, which had been in place since 1979. The AP also followed up with written requests under the Freedom of Information Act.
When the federal government issued its latest dietary guidelines in 2016, the flossing recommendation had been removed, without notice. In a letter to the AP, the government acknowledged the effectiveness of flossing had never been researched, as required.
The AP looked at the most rigorous research conducted over the past decade, focusing on 25 studies that generally compared the use of a toothbrush with the combination of toothbrushes and floss. The findings? The evidence for flossing is “weak, very unreliable,” of “very low” quality, and carries “a moderate to large potential for bias.”
I guess that means I’ve been hoodwinked by dentists and floss manufacturers, But there’s an easy fix – I stopped flossing.
I can’t claim that I’ve been putting that extra 30 seconds a day to good use, but just think about all the money I save on floss…
I suspect that there is a counter study that says it is effective. That’s the problem with these things. It’s like the “expert witnesses” in a trial where both sides present opposing viewpoints. If flossing doesn’t work, then dentists have been scamming us for a long time. I’m going to continue to floss as my hygenist always tells me that the pockets on my gums are better when I’ve been flossing regularly.
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I’ll most likely get back into it once my wrists are up for the challenge 🙂
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Who would have thought? I admit that I am not a daily flosser, but when I do, it’s a somewhat satisfying experience. There’s nothing like removing a popcorn kernel from your teeth.
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it does have its moments… 🙂
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I am also a daily flosser, Jim, and I am a believer that it helps save your teeth. Just look at what you miss with your toothbrush!
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I need to show my husband this! He flosses regularly. Do I ? No! but I have very good teeth, not one cavity. Sooooo…..as for my study, That’s one minute every day that I can spend on something better, like reading a book, or a blog post. 🙂
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Flossing is not for your teeth so much as it is for your gums. It prevents pyorrhea, halitosis, and edentulous gums. With gum disease, your gums can recede so far that your perfect teeth will fall out like little chiclets.
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OK. it’s back to flossing for me…
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Thank you. And in the interest of full disclosure, I do own stock in Acme Floss, Inc.
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that’s fine. I see Acme has moved beyond products just for Wile E Coyote…
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The coyotes gave us our start, but every company must grow to survive.
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I hope the stock performance has met your expectations…
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Sometimes it moves up like a rocket, but other times it’s as if it’s fallen into a deep chasm, while being followed by a large boulder.
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and yet always comes back fighting…
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beep-beep
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🙂
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Oh dear! Stop! Now you made my gums hurt.
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I doubt that. But perhaps I helped you to become conscious of the subtle pain your poor gums have been experiencing, due to lack of flossing. You’ll thank me later.
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…mmm..!
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and so will her dental hygienist…
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If she even sees a dental hygienist.
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🙂
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You are funny. I do see one…..I may be overdue but I do see one!
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Like every 10 years?
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Smartass!😛
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I just can’t imagine being a dental hygienist…
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I agree!!
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Haha!
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pretty convincing argument, though…
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You don’t need to take his side!
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I’m a sucker for big words, especially medical ones… 🙂
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“Haha!” I need to think of some bjg words!
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I am a sporadic flosser…good job job there was no typo there…I am in one of those moods…haha
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must be all that gaelic coffee 🙂
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Haha…Oh Yeah!
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👍
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I floss daily, and the stuff that comes out doesn’t smell the greatest. I just imagine it’s keeping me from having bad breath 😂
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seems like a good reason to floss!
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I think this is where you must simply follow the advice of your own personal dentist or hygienist. If they recommend you floss, it is unlikely that it is in an effort to earn a kick back from the floss manufacturing companies. And considering the number of mouths they look into in a day, they are the experts as far as I am concerned.
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I agree with you, Brad. And since my dentist tells me to floss, I will likely get back to it when I am able…
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I never liked flossing. My teeth overlap in places which made it difficult to get the stuff down and it caught again on the way up. Flossing made my gums bleed (which probaby indicated that I needed to). The gaps between my teeth now require something more akin to a bottle brush, which I can see the point of.
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it’s not one of the more enjoyable daily habits, but I guess there are worse…
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I’ve never got on with flossing, give me a good old toothbrush every time. I’m a little worried at the disparity in your estimates of time saving, though – 30 secs or 45 secs? You do realise that you’re supposed to gargle the mouthwash, not drink it, right?
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good catch with the seconds; originally I had them all at 30 seconds, then I changed them to 45; I guess I missed one! thanks for the tip on the mouthwash, that could have been part of the problem. 🙂 Now I have heard that mouthwash is quite good for dental health…
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And it’s much easier than flossing, too 👍
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no complaints there…
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I’m not sure I agree with your logic (regarding losing six years of your life), but I also feel hoodwinked. I’m now rethinking my entire dental regimen. Well, just 45 daily seconds of it.
Thanks for sharing this groundbreaking revelation.
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that is my mission in life, to share only the most important, life-saving info with others… 🙂
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I read that about flossing many years ago, and stopped flossing also. Then, when I saw my hygienist, my gums started bleeding like a mugging victim in a dark alley. I was lectured that this was gum disease, and warned that it’s the consequence of not flossing, and that it puts me in danger of losing my teeth. So I resumed flossing.
I think if you only ate healthy, nonprocessed foods, such as whole grains, you can get away with not flossing. But otherwise, it seems like a recipe for needing dentures someday in the future. How that might affect your lifespan, I’m not sure.
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since I don’t just eat healthy foods, I seem to be a candidate for flossing…
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Look on the bright side. Whenever you’re criticized for eating junk food, just tell the critic that it’s okay, because you floss.
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it’s like ordering a Big Mac and a diet soda…
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Yes, exactly.
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Although flossing remains a difficult practice, I think quitting it is not a good idea!
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I think you’re right, Kenneth. I plan to start flossing again after this brief respite…
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I actually knew this. Don’t remember why. Still flossing. If not, a percentage of my meal stays stuck in my teeth even after I brush. Plus my gums bleed. So flossing works for me.
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I agree, and plan to start flossing again soon. I think a combo of brushing, flossing, and mouthwash is the way to go…
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Hi Jim. Enjoyed that, but must admit it feels like someone trying to convince me that face masks don’t help prevent germs spreading. An alternative to flossing, which can be a messy, fiddly, business in my experience – tiny interdental brushes. And so much quicker, so it’s a win-win. 🙂
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I’ll have to look for those interdental brushes. as you point out, they could be a win-win!
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Interesting discussion! It will be interesting to see what the dentists and floss manufacturers say about this. Another research study is probably in the wind.
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I’m sure they would strongly disagree… 🙂
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now I’ll never get that time back! )
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better late than never! 🙂
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I don’t floss on a regular basis and have excellent dental health. But I do use a flouride mouth wash and that makes a difference.
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I think mouthwash is more important than flossing…
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I am a daily flosser as I think it gets a better clean (hate those bits stuck between my teeth) but I wasn’t aware it might increase my life.
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just think of all the extra books you can read now 🙂
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Hehehe.
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🙂
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Always admire the light touch you bring to serious discussions, jim. Cheers the noo!
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I was hoping to bring a serious touch to a light discussion 🙂 cheer the noo!
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Ha ha
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🙂
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😀
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My best friend is currently studying to become a dentist and she was telling me about the importance of flossing and was surprised when I told her I don’t floss regularly and insisted I should. Maybe I need to send her this information lol!
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I’ll be back to flossing soon; I’ve just taken a temporary break. I don’t think there is any downside to it, except losing those 45 seconds… 🙂
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