5 Reasons to Floss Your Teeth Every Day

Did your dentist remind you to floss your teeth at your last dental checkup? And yet it is easy to forget to do. Maybe by knowing why flossing is so necessary for oral hygiene, it would be easier to follow the dentist’s advice. Here are 5 important reasons why flossing is so important:

1. To reduce the risk of having cavities
   Brushing alone cannot clean all around a tooth when there is another tooth right next to it. Flossing completes tooth brushing by removing plaque and foods remaining in between two teeth where tooth decay often starts.
2. To reduce the risk of having gum disease
   Plaque is full of harmful bacteria, and if left around teeth it can accumulate on gums and start an inflammation. This is the first step of gum disease, including gingivitis and periodontitis.
3. To prevent halitosis
   Plaque that is located in between teeth, if not removed, can emanate a bad smell, which is one of the number one reasons of having bad breath.
4. To prevent tartar buildup
   If plaque is left around teeth, it becomes tartar with the saliva calcification action. Tartar can also cause gum disease and to reduce its amount around teeth is good for oral health.
5. To reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease
   People with heart disease must be very vigilant with their oral hygiene because the mouth is an entry point for harmful bacteria that, if not eliminated, can eventually reach the heart.

See also in French.

Good Fats Versus Bad Fats

Are all fats bad for your heart? Not really. Some fats should be removed from our diet, but other ones can actually be good for the heart!

There are two kinds of bad fats that people should avoid:

1. Saturated fats
   These fats are triglicerids that contain only saturated fatty acids. They increase LDL cholesterol (bad cholesterol) in the blood. They are found in meat, eggs, seafood, dairy products (especialy ice cream and whole milk), coconut oil, cottonseed oil, palm kernel oil, chocolate and butter.
2. Trans fats
   This is a type of unsaturated fats that can be naturally found, but most of them are industrially created to increase the shelf life of processed foods. Trans fats can be found in some cookies, crackers, cakes, French fries, margarine, onion rings and donuts.

But there are also good fats that can actually reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease:

1. Monounsaturated fats
   These fats lower total cholesterol, including LDL cholesterol or bad cholesterol, while increasing HDL cholesterol or good cholesterol. Monounsaturated fats can be found in nuts (peanuts, walnuts, almonds and pistachios), avocado, canola and olive oil. These fats have also been found to help in weight loss, particularly body fat. The phenol found in olive oil keeps the arteries elastic and healthy.
2. Polyunsaturated fats
   These fats (which include Omega 3 fatty acids) also lower bad cholesterol. They are included in seafood like salmon and fish oil, as well as corn, soy, and sunflower oils.

See also in French.

Top Ten Reasons to Remove your Wisdom Teeth

Top 10 reasons to remove wisdom teeth:

10. Because there is limited space for wisdom teeth to erupt and because the surrounding gums are difficult to keep clean. Infection and inflammation are therefore common even when there are no apparent symptoms.

9. Even when wisdom teeth erupt through the gum tissues, they rarely provide any meaningful function and are always difficult to keep clean.

8. Wisdom teeth have high risk of getting cavities on them because they are very hard to clean while brushing and flossing.

7. In some cases, impacted wisdom teeth develop cysts, and rarely tumours. Removal of such lesions may require extensive procedures to repair and restore jaw function and appearance.

6. With age, the chance for complications related to the removal of wisdom teeth increases.

5. Gum disease and inflammation associated with wisdom teeth may lead to receding gum tissues, deterioration of the jawbone and tooth loss.

4. Wisdom teeth may contribute to crowding of nearby teeth.

3. Even wisdom teeth that seem to be problem-free remain a breeding ground for oral infection and inflammation. Research supports the concept that such inflammation may enter the bloodstream and contribute to the development and/or progression of a variety of diseases, including diabetes, cardiovascular disease and stroke.

2. Once it has been determined that a wisdom tooth will not successfully erupt into your mouth and be maintained in a healthy state, early extraction of wisdom teeth is associated with faster and easier recovery.

1. The number one reason for removing wisdom teeth: Peace of mind!

Source: American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons.

See also in French.