SilverElephant wrote:Is this one of those american things? I have to admit I've never flossed in my life. I brush my teeth every evening and when I want to get a particularly resilient piece popcorn kernel out. There's no trouble with my teeth so far (as confirmed by my dentist).
(I'm German and 27, by the way)
It may be an American thing, but it is an essential part of preventing dental disease. Assuming your dentist is even diagnosing periodontal disease, at age 27 you are too young for it to show up. Not flossing is essentially the same as not brushing. Brushing cleans the front, top and back surface of teeth. Flossing cleans both sides. The side areas is where most dental disease occurs.
It is amazing how a cheap piece of string, used daily in a proper manner, can prevent many thousands of dollars of dental work. You won't get that ROI in the stock market.
I have noticed that floss is often not readily available in many countries. Not a good sign. Flossing is one of the simplest and most important things you can do to keep your body healthy so that you won't need expensive health care as you get older. The other is avoiding refined sugars. Refined sugar consumption is directly related the caries incidence.
