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| Medical benefits of dental floss have never been scientifically proven, according to an Associated Press report. / Courtesy of Twitter |
By Lee Jin-a
The U.S. government has stopped recommending the use of dental floss, saying its effectiveness has never been proved, according to a news agency report.
The Associated Press said on Tuesday the flossing recommendation had been removed from the government's latest health guidelines. It had been included since 1979. The U.S. government told the news agency that it acknowledged there was no research to prove the medical benefits of flossing.
Citing research that analyzed 25 studies over the past decade to compare the use of a toothbrush and the combination of a toothbrush and floss, the AP said the evidence for flossing was "weak, very unreliable," and "carried a moderate to large potential for bias."
The agency found one positive study -- published in 2011 -- that said flossing helps slightly reduce gum inflammation, which can sometimes develop into serious gum disease. But the AP said a commentary in a dental magazine stated that any benefit of flossing would be so little it might not be noticed.
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