Don’t throw out that dental floss just yet. The recommendation to floss twice daily had been in place since 1979 but was quietly dropped from the latest federal dietary guidelines, as widely reported.
“I don’t think that news said that it doesn’t work, I think what it says was that it’s not been studied enough to prove that it does work,” said Dr. Ned Murphy, president-elect of the Wisconsin Dental Association
Murphy, who’s been practicing nearly 50 years, says he observed a decrease in gum disease once the flossing recommendation was put in place and flossing became widely practiced. This week, The Associated Press reported that officials had never researched the effectiveness of regular flossing, as required, before making the recommendation.
Murphy’s recommendation — keep on brushing and flossing twice daily.
