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If you love going to the movies or if you would rather visit Blockbuster, it may cost thousands of dollars in dental

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Being a technology buff, I had to have one of these when if first came out. It is called the Isolite. Check it out at

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I know it is so routine to brush every evening or more often but have your ever wondered, if you only had 1 minute before jetting out the door, which one would you do, brush your teeth or floss? The real question behind this is, which one is more important, brushing or flossing? Obviously I do and recommend doing both, but let's get down to the true purposes of each. Toothbrushing: more popular because it has been ingrained in most people's mind. It helps by removing the annoying film on your teeth and takes out the large greens caught between your front teeth. Toothbrushing with toothpaste does in fact improve that "fresh breath" feeling. Flossing: The dreaded floss that sits in the bottom of the drawer never gets any respect. We hear it from the dentist or hygienist every 6 months, but the daily habit never truly forms. If you did just get back into flossing, you'd probably notice some bleeding and sensitivity around your gums. Then you think to yourself, if I didn't floss, my gums won't bleed and thereafter, you never floss again. What is the true purpose for flossing and toothbrushing? Here's my take: Flossing is way more important because the problem most people have is gum disease, either gingivitis or periodontitis. By removing the bacteria below your gums between your teeth, where gum disease is more prominent, you prevent the devastating effects of gum disease. Floss is by far the best method for achieving debris removal. The truth behind Toothbrushing is that you don't need to. That's right. It is actually the fluoride in the toothpaste that is important and the brush is there to help apply it. Dental plaque when removed frequent enough (like once a day) is easy to remove. So when the gloves come off, flossing is more important that brushing. The problem is, it is much easier to brush than floss and people prefer having fresh breath than having their gums bleed. Sorry... Go get some floss and when you are on the go and can't decide whether to brush of floss, I hope you choose to floss. I'll soon talk more about which floss to get because it is just as important as deciding to floss or now. Dr. Marvin www.smileiq.com ps. check out the site for a free how to guide to finding a trusted dentist.