It is no secret that a beautiful, white smile can enhance your appearance and boost your confidence. But what can you do to achieve this?
There are numerous products and treatments that claims to be able to help you achieve that pearly white smile, and one of them is flossing. In fact, flossing is an important part of oral hygiene as it helps with keeping teeth clean and healthy. But does it have any effect on the whiteness of teeth?
The truth is that flossing will not whiten your teeth directly. The act of flossing removes plaque and food particles stuck between your teeth, which prevents cavities and the onset of gum diseases such as gingivitis. Much like a vacuum cleaner cleaning a rug, it removes dust and dirt from the surface of the carpet, giving a brighter and cleaner appearance. In the context of flossing, the plaque and protein deposits causing the discoloration are scrapped off the tooth enamel, giving the appearance of a whiter tooth.
Adding on, floss do not contain hydrogen peroxide, the quintessential ingredient in all whitening products. It can be found in teeth whitening toothpaste, whitening strips, and even professional teeth whitening treatments; the only difference between these whitening products is the concentration of hydrogen peroxide. In general, the higher the concentration, the more effective is the whitening effect.
As such, flossing does not whiten your teeth at all. Rather, it gives the purported appearance of a whiter teeth.
Benefits of Flossing
Unlike brushing your teeth or rinsing your mouth with mouthwash, flossing is not a regular routine of many people. However, the simple act offers several benefits for oral health:
- Removal of plaque and food particles: Flossing helps to scrape and remove plaque and food particles that are trapped between the teeth and cannot be reached by brushing alone. If not treated, the plaque can lead to tooth decay and gum diseases.
- Improved gum health: Regular flossing can help to reduce inflammation and bleeding of the gums, which can improve gum health.
- Fresher breath: Flossing removes bacteria and debris from the mouth, helping one achieve a fresher breath.
- Prevention of tooth decay: By preventing the buildup of plaque and tartar, flossing can help to prevent tooth decay.
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Overall, flossing is an important part of a daily oral hygiene routine and should be practiced. However, it should not be relied upon as a method of teeth whitening.
Do Whitening Flossers Work?
Over the past few years, several oral hygiene product manufacturers have came up with whitening floss. Many of these innovative floss contains calcium peroxide, a form of inorganic compound that claims to whiten a teeth by dissolving and removing proteins molecules that causes discoloration on the tooth enamel. On the other hand, some whitening flossers are coated with abrasive materials (such as silica) that grinds down and remove plaque that are stuck to the tooth enamel. So the million dollar question is, do whitening flossers whiten your teeth?
The answer is no, whitening flosser do not whiten your teeth. In fact, these ‘magical’ flossers work exactly like regular floss: they merely remove plaque stuck between your teeth. The act of using whitening floss to remove plaque between your teeth prevents it from yellowing, but it does not make them whiter.
While it can be argued that whitening floss contains peroxide-based ingredients that can whiten one’s teeth, the short flossing time of 1 to 3 minutes meant that these ingredients will do little to bleach the tooth enamel. Most over-the-counter whitening kit require a minimum duration of 10 to 30 minutes for a few days straight in order to see any noticeable results.
Now, a question you may wonder is whether or not whitening dental flosser works better than most regular floss. As the whitening flosser is still a relatively new product in the market, there are currently insufficient evidence or studies being done to conclude that it performs better at removing plaque and making your teeth whiter.
However, what we do know is that flossing does keep your teeth healthier, and it should be a part of your daily oral health routine.
Takeaway
In conclusion, flossing does not directly whiten teeth. While it is an important part of a daily oral hygiene routine, offering numerous benefits for oral health, it should not be relied upon as a method for teeth whitening..
Flossing helps to remove plaque and food particles from between the teeth, which can help to maintain overall oral hygiene and prevent tooth decay and gum disease. That said, it is important to not over floss as it can irritate your gum. As a general rule of thumb, one should not floss more than 3 minutes a day; anything more may risk damaging your gum and destroying the gum line.
For a brighter, whiter smile, other methods such as teeth whitening toothpaste, whitening strips, or professional teeth whitening treatments may be more effective.
