NOVEMBER 23 IS NATIONAL FLOSSING DAY AND THERE'S NEVER BEEN A BETTER DAY TO START

- Nearly half of Americans are not flossing -

PARSIPPANY, NJ (November 23, 2007) - Flossing daily is the most important act people can do to preserve their teeth and gums, next to brushing. According the American Dental Association, 50.5 percent of Americans use dental floss or an interdental cleaner daily. However, that still leaves nearly half of the population neglecting to floss. Sponsored by the National Flossing Council, November 23 is National Flossing Day, offering Americans a perfect time to start fresh and take up this healthy, simple habit. 

“Flossing is the only way to clean between teeth and under the gum line where brushes can’t reach,” says Dr. Scott Navarro, DDS, dental director of Delta Dental of New Jersey. “Flossing has been proven to reduce risks for a myriad of oral conditions. There’s no excuse for not flossing because the pros far outweigh the cons.”

Some of the benefits of flossing include:

• Better breath

• A decreased risk for gum disease

• The removal of plaque in between teeth

• Polished, whiter tooth surfaces

• Greatly reduced tartar buildup

• Reduced chance of tooth loss later in life

“By overlooking the importance of flossing, Americans are putting themselves at serious risk for a plethora of health conditions including halitosis, dental caries, and periodontal disease” says Dr. Navarro. “For something that requires only a few minutes a day, it can prevent years of problems.”

Innovations that have hit the dental hygiene market over the past few years have made flossing a much less cumbersome activity with products like disposable flossers and threaders. Both have convenient handheld designs that make flossing easier and more sanitary, especially when on-the-go. Threaders also allow people with orthodontic devices, such as braces, to floss faster, more efficiently, and with less hassle. 

“With National Flossing Day right around the corner and with the advances in flossing technology, laziness is the only reason left not to floss,” says Dr. Navarro. “There has never been a better time to jump on the flossing bandwagon than now.” 

Before incorporating flossing into your hygiene routine, Delta Dental has some tips to help make sure you floss correctly every time. Delta Dental recommends that you:

• Break off about 18 inches of floss and wind some around one of your middle fingers.

• Wind the rest around the middle finger of your other hand.

• Grasp the floss with the thumb and forefinger of each hand, leaving about an inch of floss between the two hands.

• Pull the floss taught and use a gentle sawing motion to insert it between the two teeth.

• When the floss reaches the tip of the triangular gum flap, curve the floss into a "C" shape against one of the teeth.

• Slide the floss gently into the space between the teeth and gum until you feel resistance.

• Holding the floss tightly against the tooth, scrape up and down five or six times along the side of the tooth.

• Without removing the floss, curve it around the adjacent tooth and scrape that one, too.

• Repeat steps 4-8 on the rest of your teeth.

And most important, remember that in order to maintain a healthy, beautiful smile, flossing is meant to be done every day, not just on National Flossing Day. 

Visit the National Flossing Council’s website for more information on National Flossing Day. You can read about celebrities who have won a coveted Flossy award, laugh and learn from original floss haikus and see floss-inspired culinary confections from brownies to sushi.

About Delta Dental of New Jersey, Inc.
Delta Dental of New Jersey, Inc., is New Jersey’s and Connecticut's leading dental benefits carrier, providing coverage to more than one million people through contracts with employers in New Jersey and Connecticut. The Delta Dental system offers seamless dental benefits administration for employer groups throughout the country and the largest network of credentialed dentists in the nation. For more information visit us on the Web at www.deltadentalnj.com.