When you're rushing to leave in the early morning or tired after a long day, it can be difficult to do everything you should be doing for your oral health. Many people skip out on flossing as a way to save time, thinking that daily flossing is not necessary to have healthy teeth and gums. Here are some reasons to incorporate flossing into your daily oral health routine. 

Not Flossing Can Cause Gum Disease

You may think that the teeth themselves are fine without flossing daily, but what about the health of your gums? Do they look red and feel a bit sore currently? These are signs of the early stages of gum disease. If you don't currently floss because of the bleeding that happens when you do, know that this is another warning sign of gum diseases that will continue to get worse as you ignore this important task. Gum disease will eventually lead to tooth loss in extreme cases, which may not happen until much later in life when it is too late to reverse course on your decision to not floss daily.

Not Flossing Can Cause Bad Breath

Don't make the assumptions that brushing every day will be enough to give you fresh breath. You may have minty breath right after brushing, but when that scent wears off, your breath will be affected by whatever bacteria and plaque are in your mouth. Having those things stuck between all your teeth will end up affecting your breath if it is bad enough. It is the type of odor that builds up over time, which can cause you to not even notice it because you are now accustomed to the odor. Regular flossing can help remove the bacteria and plaque that contribute to bad breath. 

Not Flossing Can Cause Expensive Cavities

If you've ever had a cavity in one of your molars, you may have noticed how quick and easy it is for your dentist to fix. The dentist does a little bit of drilling, puts in the filling material, and you can be out the door in under an hour. However, a cavity between your teeth from a lack of flossing can be much harder to fix. It requires special tools and care to remove the decay between teeth, and then place a filling over the tooth that looks natural to others. This extra time will end up causing the process to be much more expensive than a regular cavity.