Surprisingly Little Evidence for the Accepted Wisdom about Teeth

A recent review has discredited the common wisdom that flossing should be carried out on a daily basis. These findings have triggered a big debate.

Key takeaways:

  • Evidence supporting daily flossing has been scanty even though flossing is still important for overall oral health.
  • There’s scanty information supporting routine dental x-rays that are performed annually.
  • Preventive dental visits are linked to better oral health and fewer restorative dental care visits in the future.
  • It is absolutely important for people to brush their teeth with fluoride toothpaste to prevent plaque formation, cavities and gingivitis.

In fact, fluoride is so important that the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recommends that in areas where the water supply is deficient, providers prescribe oral fluoride supplementation to children.

Read the full story here

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/08/30/upshot/surprisingly-little-evidence-for-the-usual-wisdom-about-teeth.html