Dental Floss

Beatrice Jackson
Mr. Schwager
AP English IV
10 March 2014

CWP 3: Dental Floss

I love the feel of you between my teeth.
You stimulate my gums with your caress.
You draw out all the plaque I find beneath
With gentle glide, one sweep of great finesse.

With craftsmen skill, you chisel plaque away.
And sculpt my teeth to fit their perfect shape.
You guard against the throes of tooth decay,
So proudly can I hold my mouth agape.

Though to forget to brush I’d be amiss,

For brushing keeps the reek of breath at bay.
If he forgot to brush I would not kiss,
Nor smile would I, put yellow on display.

But brushing by itself can’t fully clean.
I need you both to practice good hygiene.

I can think of little else that does so much good and is simultaneously so underappreciated
as the common box of dental floss. It amazes me how so humble an invention could
do so much for the advancement of our hygiene, and yet remain so under-utilized a resource.
Who knew a waxed string of silk could perform such wonders of sanitation with so flawless an
execution, and how grossly do these abilities contrast with its reception. For what wickedness
could an innocent piece of thread possibly be responsible to be made the object of such
contempt? Its chief offense is, presumably, the misuse of a few moments of our time. How
ungrateful we are that each visit to the dentist rewards us with a new box of this miracle working, waxed coil of magic, and more frequently than not, this precious treasure is simply
tossed into the medicine cabinet to collect dust!

It is true that many who are attentive to brushing more than once a day, purposefully
neglect to floss. This is due to the false supposition that if practicing only one or the other,
brushing is the better of the two. While brushing may produce those immediate benefits to which
we are accustomed—which is why we make a habit of it—such as relief from halitosis, outer
plaque, and the vestiges of dinner, flossing provides for the less-immediate future. Think how
much pain must be avoided at our semi-annual trips to the dentist in scraping and drilling away
at all that calcified plaque had we simply attended to our daily duty. How unwise it is to think
only of the present. We do not give dental floss the credit it is due. While brushing may amount
to equal importance, we attribute all the merits of dental hygiene to one, and forget the other.

The benefits of flossing are numerous and far outweigh the sacrifice made in turning the
occasional whim into habit. The sad truth is, the toothbrush simply falls short of our
expectations. It cleans only the outer surfaces of our teeth, while hardly touching the nooks and
crannies between. Do we really wish to be so shallow? What good is a clean outside if the inside
is filthy and teeming with bacteria? One cannot conceal it if one has eaten garlic for dinner. The
evidence will inevitably appear on one’s breath, and the same is true of flossing, if we have
fallen out of practice. With habituated neglect, we soon become desensitized to the great many
evils that accumulate between our teeth and thus become blind to our own vices. The effects of
garlic are trifles compared to those long-term ills of neglecting to floss. Ignored plaque between
the teeth and gums will soon take up permanent residence as tartar, which can cause gingivitis. If
the situation is allowed to progress, the disease can take up abode deeper in the roots, causing
inflammation and eventual tooth-loss. Sadly to say, it doesn’t stop there. Bacteria in the mouth
can enter the blood stream and harm the rest of the body in the form of heart disease, diabetes,
and respiratory illness.

One common grievance against flossing is the initial discomfort of forming the habit.
(But is this not a pain substantially less than the afore mentioned consequences of its neglect?).

Initially, one’s gums reject to the forceful and obtrusive presence. On first introductions, they
will bleed and whine in protest. Do not indulge them. Like unruly children, they must be
educated in the proper routine of things, however unpleasant, until the task loses its distaste and
becomes habit. To be sure it is habit, it must be a custom that cannot be done without. The tasks
of brushing and flossing must be so intimately acquainted that one cannot be performed without
the other. Flossing is an exercise to which one must become accustomed. On successful
acquisition of the habit, not only does flossing become a welcome stimulant to the gums, but it
also rewards one with heightened sensibilities to any future intrusion on the spaces between the
teeth.

But I have focused enough on the pains to be surmounted or avoided and have not done
justice to the intrinsic pleasures and enjoyment of the action itself. We should not look on
flossing as an inconvenience merely to be performed for the avoidance of such pains, but rather
look forward to this desirable event in the course of the day. Never let dullness enter your daily
hygiene routine. Should you tire of monotony, try a new type of floss. Waxed, mint-flavored,
fluoride-coated, flattened, spongey and soft, rounded—the possibilities are endless! And if
stubborn teeth should reject all of these, be not disheartened. Depend upon it that superfloss will
not fail you.

A good indication of the decline of our civilization is the ever-uncommon practice of
flossing. It is testament to how idle and negligent our society is becoming and to our loss of
discipline and work ethic. With flossing out the window, what next? Shall we then forget to
comb our hair, or trim our nails, and neglect all daily practice of cleanliness and decency? Nay,
take up your floss and revolt against the indolence of this generation!