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Comment by ButlerianJihad | Hacker News Reader

Flossing is not merely essential to dislodging recalcitrant food particles, but also gives great stimulation to the gums themselves, and none of that effort is a waste, IMHO.

It is not sugar that causes dental caries, but bacteria. Flossing that old food out from between teeth is guaranteed to cut down bacteria growth!

Furthermore, my new and wonderful dentist and his hygienists wholeheartedly recommend and encourage the practice.

So perhaps you can excuse me for ignoring a singular “research study”.

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It was a systematic review, not a “singular ‘research study’”. A newer 2019 Cochrane review[0] found about the same:

> The evidence was limited in applicability and was incomplete. The included studies only presented data on gingivitis, plaque, and adverse events; most did not measure or report other important outcomes such as periodontitis or interproximal caries. … Additional use of floss or interdental brushes compared to toothbrushing alone may reduce gingivitis or plaque, or both, and interdental brushes may be more effective than floss. The evidence is low to very low‐certainty, and the effect sizes observed may not be clinically important.

[0] https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6953268/

I am highly skeptical. In my younger years, I brushed regularly but did not floss at all. After dealing with a surprising number of cavities over a short period of time, I decided to just start flossing, morning and night.

Not only does flossing remove quite a bit of, er... stuff... that toothbrushing does not seem to get, I have not had a single new cavity in 25 years. The only issues I've had were old fillings falling out, including one that cracked my tooth which required a crown. Not a lot of work considering the time span.

Obviously one person is not "data" but seeing as I am that one person, I'm going to keep flossing.

May be age also plays a role. May be you started flossing around the same time your teeth became harder on its own...

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