Unwaxed versus waxed! Polytetrafluoro-ethylene versus dental tape! There are over a dozen recognized options to chose from to make sure the spaces between your teeth are plague and bacteria free as the the outer surfaces you brush. And guess what? That means the average American now chooses a dozen ways to ignore the inbetweens of their teeth. We Americans aren't flossers!!! So why not?
Dental floss has been around since the 1800's. According to About.com, the grooves created by floss have been around in pre-historic human beings, leading historians to believe that people have been flossing for much longer then we know. (U'm...excuse me...but you seem to have a wee bit of mastodon stuck in your teeth.") Even in old west movies, rough and tumble cowboys plucked hair from their horse's tails to use for emergency flossing, And today we can't be bothered to floss even though we have over twelve hygienic ways to do it?!
The first advocate of flossing was a New Orlean's dentist named Dr. Levi Spear Parmly. Dr Parmly told his patients to use silk thread to clean between their teeth and is credited with much of the dental hygiene currently used today. The first "modern" floss was mass produced by Codman and Shurlett Company in 1882. It was made of silk and unwaxed. Then just 16 years later, Johnson and Johnson patented the first brand of dental floss. But is was during World War Two, the DuPont Company took this thing called "nylon" and used it to manufacture many products, including (drum roll please) dental floss. Today, dental floss is still made from nylon.
The oral hygiene section of any drug store is larger than ever a popular on-line drugstore has over twenty types of floss alone. Maybe the reason YOU aren't flossing is you are overwhelmed with choices and don't know where to start? Or you can't find the free sample yor received at your last dental visit, your "lifetime supply." Well, its' time to be brave! Hop in you car and visit the dental floss section of your drug store or favorite discount store. Shock your hygienist at your next appointment with this tale!
Hmmm, for you is it going to be unwaxed, waxed, woven or spongy? Is is flavored, fluoride infused ot Telfon coated? Try ones that meet you personal needs. Maybe it's the small package. Maybe it's the fun flavor. Maybe it's the one already on a handy holder. It doesn't matter. Just choose one. AND USE IT! (My personal favorite is the Teflon coated floss. My favorite gadget is the Reach floss holder. Loved it so much I hid a few in my SmileScapesUSA posters!)
I want to hear from you, so let me know how the flossing action is going. Please follow me on Twitter and share your flossing secrets. We'll all be smiling brighter!
