Do You Lie to Your Dentist About Your Flossing Habits?

Turns out, many people do! A relatively recent national study has come up with very interesting information regarding our flossing habits – or lack thereof.

Of course you already know (or at least we hope you do) the importance of flossing in maintaining oral health. Brushing alone is not enough. The reason why is because the bristles are often unable to penetrate the small pockets in between your teeth; flossing can. That’s why you are recommended to both brush AND floss.

The National Study Background Information & Results

The study was conducted on behalf of the American Academy of Periodontology to roughly 2,000 adults who submitted their answers online. Respondents were taken from the top 10 U.S. markets from those 18 years of age or older.

27% of the survey respondents had mentioned that they do in fact lie to their dentist about how often they floss. Most likely due to avoiding having the dentist briefly lecture them on flossing.

The shocker…

The shocking part wasn’t the fact that people lie about their flossing habits, but the fact that 36% of the survey respondents said they would rather participate in an unpleasant activity than floss.

Exactly what constitutes an unpleasant activity?

• Washing a sink full of dirty dishes (18%)
• Sitting in gridlock traffic for an hour (9%)
• Waiting in a long check out line (14%)
• Do their taxes (9%)
• Cleaning the toilet (14%)

The interesting part is that 33% of the respondents also mentioned that a smile is the first thing they notice when meeting someone – indicating the inherent importance of a nice smile.

So we have to ask, is it really THAT bad to floss? Once you realize it only takes one minute and can prevent you from a lifetime of dental problems, you might be thinking otherwise about these unpleasant activities!