"So, I heard you don't have to floss. You guys may have been wrong all these years!"
Wow. What a wonderful break for dentistry. To be able to talk about something we love and patients, well, don't. The news story broke that flossing did not have enough studies to show clinical significance in helping oral care.
Sheri B. Doniger, DDS."Unproven," "weak unreliable, evidence," "potentially biased," and "inconsistent" were reasons given. What? We have been talking floss since we were in hygiene and dental school. We know that it reduces bioburden interproximally, an area where toothbrush bristles do not reach. We know that flossing is an important part of oral health, which is also key to general health. So, what to do?
I found this to be a great gift to dentistry. For a very loud news week, especially if you live in the Chicago area, flossing was the shining star! Dentistry was united in its response. This story was covered in more than 150 sources online, in print, and on television. The ADA, American Dental Hygienists' Association, and American Academy of Periodontology discussed the importance of flossing specifically and oral care in general. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services also posted that "flossing is an important part of oral hygiene practice."
This was not a negative story, in which a breach of infection control occurred or a patient suffered adversely from treatment. This was a story to start a conversation. And, start a conversation we did!
Flossing was certainly a topic of conversation. I overheard people talking about it in the grocery store! I started a conversation between reps in my aerobic weight class, saying that, yes, you still have to floss. That one comment drew many questions after class. One of the best questions was: "Can you tell when we don't floss every day?" Of course we can! That led into a discussion of creating oral care habits.
Every chance I got, I brought up flossing and how it is still, and always has been, important in oral care. All positive, to keep up the news cycle a little bit more.
Flossing was all over social media. The benefits and correct techniques were on many dental society websites, as well as dental practice pages. I personally had more than a few posts on both Facebook and Twitter. It was great to talk about our profession with a positive, health-driven message. It is not too late to get a post up. Flossing will never go out of style!
This was a great week to talk about dentistry, oral health, and proper oral hygiene techniques. Perfect summertime conversations to remind everyone to floss only the teeth they want to keep. Or, as we say, "May the floss be with you!"
Sheri B. Doniger, DDS, practices clinical dentistry in Lincolnwood, IL. She is the immediate past president of the American Association of Women Dentists. She has served as an educator in several dental and dental hygiene programs, has been a consultant for a major dental benefits company, and has written for several dental publications. You can reach her at [email protected].
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