Daily flossing is required for healthy teeth. Thorough flossing removes the plaque and food debris that your toothbrush may not. It also increases blood circulation in your gums to help prevent gum disease.
Flossing is a crucial component for a healthy smile, but it has a fair share of interesting facts, as well. Here are some fun facts about dental floss:

• The idea for floss is credited to Levi Spear Parmly, a dentist from New Orleans, in 1815. He told his patients to use a thin silk thread to clean between their teeth.
• Floss was commercially manufactured for the first time in 1882. Codman and Shurtleft Company began marketing unwaxed silk dental floss. Johnson & Johnson released their first silk floss product in 1896 and patented dental floss in 1898.
• During the 1940s, the physician Dr. Charles Bass found that nylon material is better for flossing than silk. The silk often shredded when going between teeth. Nylon has a consistent texture and better resistance. Nylon led to the development of waxed floss and dental tape.
• Proper flossing requires the average person to use 122 yards of floss per year. Sales data shows that only an average of 18 yards is sold per person each year.
• Only 28 percent of people say they floss every day. About 73 percent would rather go grocery shopping than floss.

It comes in many forms – waxed, unwaxed, flavored, unflavored, wide, and regular. All floss works the same, but only if you use it properly. Ask Dr. Coon or one of our hygienists to demonstrating proper flossing techniques. Contact Grinnell Street Dental in Sheridan, WY at 307-672-7567 to schedule an appointment for your professional dental checkup.