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Fed Gov. Silently Admits Role In Centuries Long Multi-Billion Dollar Floss Conspiracy

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benjipwns

benjipwns

Banned
http://bigstory.ap.org/article/f7e6...19a9e3/medical-benefits-dental-floss-unproven
It's one of the most universal recommendations in all of public health: Floss daily to prevent gum disease and cavities.

Except there's little proof that flossing works.

Still, the federal government, dental organizations and manufacturers of floss have pushed the practice for decades. Dentists provide samples to their patients; the American Dental Association insists on its website that, "Flossing is an essential part of taking care of your teeth and gums."

The federal government has recommended flossing since 1979, first in a surgeon general's report and later in the Dietary Guidelines for Americans issued every five years. The guidelines must be based on scientific evidence, under the law.

Last year, the Associated Press asked the departments of Health and Human Services and Agriculture for their evidence, and followed up with written requests under the Freedom of Information Act.

When the federal government issued its latest dietary guidelines this year, the flossing recommendation had been removed, without notice. In a letter to the AP, the government acknowledged the effectiveness of flossing had never been researched, as required.

The AP looked at the most rigorous research conducted over the past decade, focusing on 25 studies that generally compared the use of a toothbrush with the combination of toothbrushes and floss. The findings? The evidence for flossing is "weak, very unreliable," of "very low" quality, and carries "a moderate to large potential for bias."

"The majority of available studies fail to demonstrate that flossing is generally effective in plaque removal," said one review conducted last year. Another 2015 review cites "inconsistent/weak evidence" for flossing and a "lack of efficacy."
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Even companies with a big market share of the flossing business — by next year, the global market is predicted to reach almost $2 billion, with half in the United States, according to publisher MarketSizeInfo.com — struggled to provide convincing evidence of their claims that floss reduces plaque or gingivitis. Yet the industry has paid for most studies and sometimes designed and conducted the research.

Procter & Gamble, which claims that its floss fights plaque and gingivitis, pointed to a two-week study, which was discounted as irrelevant in the 2011 research review.

Johnson & Johnson spokesman Marc Boston said floss helps remove plaque. When the AP sent him a list of contradicting studies, he declined comment.

The floss-making companies partner with the ADA through its Seal of Acceptance program. The ADA promotes the seal to companies as something that "directly affects the purchase decisions of consumers;" each manufacturer is charged $14,500 for the evaluation. If it approves the product, the ADA then charges an additional annual fee of $3,500.

The ADA says it rigorously evaluates products and makes no profit from the program. However, floss companies themselves are allowed to design the studies.
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Dentist Levi Spear Parmly is credited with inventing floss in the early 19th century. By the time the first floss patent was issued, in 1874, the applicant noted that dentists were widely recommending its use.

The ADA has been promoting floss universally since 1908.
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National Institutes of Health dentist Tim Iafolla acknowledged that if the highest standards of science were applied in keeping with the flossing reviews of the past decade, "then it would be appropriate to drop the floss guidelines."

Regardless, he added, Americans should still floss.

"It's low risk, low cost," he said. "We know there's a possibility that it works, so we feel comfortable telling people to go ahead and do it."
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The Lamonster

The Lamonster

Member
Flossing disengages stinky-ass food particles that get stuck in between your teeth. At the very least it's good for your breath.
 
J

Jeels

Member
The Lamonster said:
Flossing disengages stinky-ass food particles that get stuck in between your teeth. At the very least it's good for your breath.
Click to expand...

This does happen when I floss. I also notice it just makes my mouth feel more fresh (if I brush in addition of course) So do I keep flossing or stop?
 
M

Morrigan Stark

Arrogant Smirk
My laziness vindicated!

The Lamonster said:
Flossing disengages stinky-ass food particles that get stuck in between your teeth. At the very least it's good for your breath.
Click to expand...
Brushing is plenty for the breath. I do floss if I feel something stuck in my teeth though, but rarely otherwise. I don't feel so guilty about it anymore though, thanks science :p
 
WorriedCitizen

WorriedCitizen

Member
I always knew this was bullshit. I actualy get more trouble with my gums and sensitive teeth when i floss regularely. Only floss when something is stuck or visible.
 
D

Deleted member 17706

Unconfirmed Member
CrocMother said:
Is every dentist in the world part of this conspiracy also?
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For the most part, they only practice what they are taught in school. They also have to adhere to certain "standards of care" for accreditation and insurance reasons. It's not easy to deviate from the accepted norm as a medical practitioner, even if that norm consists of outdated beliefs that aren't backed up by evidence.
 
G

Guevara

Member
This is going to be taken the wrong way.

Sounds like what is really necessary is a large scale study.

But instead we'll get a bunch of bad breath :-(
 
O

OminoMichelin

Member
I'll keep flossing ty. It might (emphasis on might) not matter for caries, but it sure as hell prevents my guns from bleeding horribly and prevents halitosis.
 
N

Nabbis

Member
Going by common sense, your brush won't reach the gums that are situated in between your teeth low enough to clean the plaque as effectively as flossing. I don't know what to think really. Im pretty sure that we have had international studies done on this, though i suppose i need to actually look into that since i can't remember anything on the top of my head.
 
J

jmdajr

Member
So my daily flossing isn't really what has kept me cavity free? gum disease free?

hmmm.

Still hate crap in my teeth though. I don't see myself stopping my habit.
 
M

milanbaros

Member?
I've tried flossing before but there are no gaps between my teeth. I feel like flossing would just encourage gaps with space for food to gather.

Americans love it though.
 
M

Morrigan Stark

Arrogant Smirk
CrocMother said:
Is every dentist in the world part of this conspiracy also?
Click to expand...
The use of the word "conspiracy" was by the OP, which is really dumb. Not everything is a conspiracy, especially in science. Sometimes, poor/misguided/unproven science gets spread around, in textbooks, scientific literature, insurance companies, the collective consciousness in general, etc. and people just assume it's true and pass it on for generations.

I'm still waiting for chiropractic and acupuncture to stop being accepted as mainstream/valid, myself. Those are way worse than the otherwise innocuous and cheap practice of flossing tbh.

Firebrand said:
Um. It's pretty obvious flossing prevents buildup of calculus (no, not the math kind) as well as gingivitis.
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Nothing in science is ever that "obvious".

Until I was about 16 years old I had terrible dental hygiene. I brushed rarely, almost never flossed, and my parents never took me to the dentist. I also had a very sweet tooth. According to "science" (or rather, what every dentist and dental hygienist that came to our school said), I should have had tons of cavities and other problems, but I have 0 cavity and never had a tooth ache in my life. Whereas people with perfect hygiene and better diets have tons of fillings. Now I did change my habits after that, and perhaps that helped -- I didn't want to push my luck after all, and it's just better for my breath and all that -- but yeah, it's not that simple.

The human bodies, including our mouths, are complicated systems with tons of factors that can affect their health.
 
S

SaganIsGOAT

Junior Member
Corn on the cob was the only justification I ever needed to floss. I feel gross if I miss a day

Also, clean your tongues pls
 
C

CapitalismSucks DonkeyBalls

Banned
milanbaros said:
I've tried flossing before but there are no gaps between my teeth. I feel like flossing would just encourage gaps with space for food to gather.

Americans love it though.
Click to expand...

ee66502598c6802ea3875a58a60705e3.jpeg
 
C

CrocMother

Banned
Zefah said:
For the most part, they only practice what they are taught in school. They also have to adhere to certain "standards of care" for accreditation and insurance reasons. It's not easy to deviate from the accepted norm as a medical practitioner, even if that norm consists of outdated beliefs that aren't backed up by evidence.
Click to expand...

Ok, but we are talking about people who spend decades looking at nothing but people's teeth. Some people they see dozens of times over the course of their lives. They have to directly see improvement from flossing, no?
 
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