So, Do Americans Even Floss? [Dental News]

Even though flossing should be a priority, many of us are actually guilty of not flossing appropriately. According to a recent study led by Duong T. Nguyen, it is scientifically possible to categorize Americans into three categories: 

• Those that floss daily
• Those that never floss 
• Those that inconsistently floss

The Results are Shocking!

After searching for floss around his house, Duong T. Nguyen, a medical epidemiologist, developed the concept for his study. He kept wondering just how many people ACTUALLY floss. As a result of his curiosity on the subject, with a bit of research, Nguyen discovered that no rigorous or official studies had been made on the subject. He then took it upon himself to create a scientifically valid analysis.

The first nationally representative analysis that would help Nguyen determine the exact percentage of people flossing revealed astonishing results. The study included all 3 categories previously mentioned, the ones that floss daily, the ones that never floss and those that are inconsistent with their flossing routine.

The study showed that only 30% of the population in America floss daily. The study also showed that only 37% of the population has an inconsistent flossing routine and that 32% of the population NEVER floss.

Nguyen and his colleagues parsed their study totals by age, sex, race and a ratio of family income and poverty level.

Among the findings they discovered the following:

• Males (39 percent) were more like to report never flossing than females (27 percent).
• People 75 or older (45 percent) were more likely to report never flossing than those age 30 to 44 (31 percent).
• Non-Hispanic blacks (40 percent) and Hispanics (38 percent) were more likely to report never flossing than non-Hispanic white adults (30 percent).
• Low-income participants (49 percent) were more likely to report never flossing than those in higher income brackets (28 percent).

Flossing Done Properly

If properly done, flossing removes all food particles that tend to stick to teeth and create bacteria. Usually if left untreated or uncared for, this bacteria can create inflammation and many times gum disease. Overtime, the bacteria creates ‘colonies’ which are commonly known as plaque. The bacteria hardens into tartar and wear away at the gums and bone, eventually causing tooth loss, which is never a good thing.

The Need for Proper Dental Health Education

Although the results ended up being higher than originally expected, professionals believe there is still room for improvement. Most dentists would guess that the percentage of daily flossers is less than what the results stated, maybe as low as 10%, which is what made this study so unique and informative. This estimated percentage only states that there is a need for more conversation on flossing. If it wasn’t for Nguyen’s study, the topic wouldn’t have been looked at to this extent. Many dentists are excited to have a study to refer to and look at flossing in a different light, something to base their theories from.

As Nguyen presented his findings on May 2, 2016 he stated "Something as simple as flossing is, to a lot of people, a bane," he says. "They don't want to do it. Yet, in the long run it can be so beneficial – it can prevent tooth loss and everything that comes with it."

Dental News: Chewing Gum Linked to Headaches in Teens/Children

Headaches are quite common in children, and tend to become more frequent during the teen years, especially among girls. These headaches are claimed to be triggered by stress, sunlight, video games, noise, skipped meals, smoking, lack of sleep, and menstruation.

A 2013 publication in the November 4^th Pediatric Neurology Journal suggested that there is a connection between chewing gum and migraines and tension headaches. According to the case study by Dr. Nathan Watemberg of Meir Medical Center, which is affiliated to Tel Aviv University, headaches caused by chewing gum should cease once children and teenagers stop doing it, without requiring costly tests or medicines.

Events Leading Up to the Study

Before the study, Dr. Watemberg had observed that many patients who reported headaches also chewed gum on a daily basis. He also observed that teenage girl patients were more avid chewers, corroborating findings by previous dental studies. When he suggested that patients stop chewing gum, Dr. Watemberg noticed that those patients got considerably better.

Analysis of the Study

For a more statistical analysis, Dr. Watemberg asked 30 patients between the ages of 6 and 19 years with chronic migraine or tension headaches, and also chewed gum every day, to stop chewing for one month. These patients had chewed gum for between one and six hours per day.

One month after they had quit chewing gum, 26 of the patients reported considerable improvement, with reduced frequency and intensity of headaches. 19 of the 26 reported complete headache resolution when they stopped chewing.

To test the results, 20 of the improved youngsters later went back to chewing gum, resulting in an immediate relapse of symptoms within days.

Revelations from Other Studies

There have been two other studies linking headaches to gum chewing, though they offered different explanations. One of the studies suggested that chewing gum causes stress to the TMJ, or temporomandibular joint, where the jaw connects to the skull, while the other study claimed that aspartame, the artificial sweetener used in popular chewing gums, is responsible for the headaches.

Research has shown a connection between TMJ dysfunction and headaches, though none has been found between headaches and aspartame.

In Conclusion

Dr. Watemberg is more inclined to the TMJ explanation than the aspartame one. Considering that gum is only sweet for a short period of time, it cannot possibly contain much aspartame to cause headaches. Furthermore, if aspartame was the cause of headaches from chewing gum, there would more severe headaches from consuming diet drinks and other artificially sweetened products.

On the other hand, people continue to chew gum long after the sweetness is gone, exerting considerable pressure on the TMJ, which is already the most used joint in a human's body. Doctors agree that overuse of the TMJ causes headaches, and Dr. Watemberg also believes that this is what causes headaches when children and teens chew gum excessively.