History of Dental Floss
Dental floss was invented by an American dentist named Levi Spear Parmly. In 1819, he wrote a book about dental care and in it described the waxed silken thread that we call dental floss. Parmly's patients soon began using thin silk thread to clean between their teeth. Parmly is considered a pioneer in dental hygiene because of his writings about tooth care. Does this Spark an idea?
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Function
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Dental floss helps chase away some of the mouth bacteria that causes decay. Cleaning between the teeth with floss removes plaque and food particles that a toothbrush cannot reach.
Types
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The first dental floss was silk thread. To improve the product, later versions of dental floss have been made from nylon and Gore-Tex, and there are different textures such as soft floss, spongy floss, or floss with stiffened ends.
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Benefits
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The American Dental Association recommends daily flossing as an important factor in maintaining good oral hygiene. The other recommendations are brushing teeth twice daily, eating a balanced diet, and visiting the dentist for cleaning and exams on a regular basis.
Famous Ties
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Dr. William Mayo from the world-famous Mayo Clinc said, "Daily plaque control can add ten years to your life." In spite of the evidence, only about 15 percent of people floss on a regular basis.
Fun Fact
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People buy more than three million miles of dental floss in the United States each year.
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