October 10,2011
Well, conversation at conferences can turn from the serious to the mundane but arguably serious. “Do you floss before or after you brush?” was the question at a recent conference. My answer: brush, floss, and brush again. Why? Who wants to brush before — yuck! But alas the American Dental Association provides a reason for flossing before brushing http://www.ada.org/1318.aspx.
In short, flossing gets the ‘yuck’ out so the fluoride in your toothpaste can reach your gums and promote health by reducing gingivitis. OK. Now you know.
Why didn’t my dentist ever tell me that? I suspect that dentists are happy if we floss at all…any time.