We all know that we should floss our teeth at least once a day, but how many of us really understand the range of flossing benefits? Using dental floss not only prevents tooth decay between our teeth, but it also plays a role in preventing gum disease, guarding against bad breath, and keeping our teeth clean and healthy looking. It is an integral part of good oral hygiene that many of us don't pay enough attention to.

One of the most obvious benefits of flossing is that it enables us to remove large particles of food from between the teeth. Have you ever gotten a bit of popcorn or a stringy piece of orange caught between your teeth? It can be stuck fast and seem impossible to remove. If you worry at it with the tip of your tongue, you can make you tongue quite sore - or you can get a piece of dental floss and easily remove it, proving one of the great flossing benefits - comfort.

Those same chunks of food caught between the teeth (and many are not as obvious as things like popcorn - they can go unnoticed) can foster tooth decay. When food is left in contact with the tooth surface, cavities can begin to form. It's a good idea to prevent this by using dental floss daily to remove the undetected trapped food. Flossing benefits the gums similarly, by removing trapped food that might contribute to gum disease.

The key factor in bad breath is bacteria - bacteria that can live in the spaces between the teeth and use trapped food particles as a food supply themselves. Flossing benefits your breath by limiting the food supply of these organisms and dislodging many of those that do get established. These bacteria can also play a role in inflammation of the gums, and eventual gum disease. Then gums begin to recede and pull away from the teeth, bacteria get into the little pockets that are formed and proliferate, making the situation worse. When you consider this unpleasant scenario, the benefits of flossing clearly outweigh any inconvenience.

And don't forget, we all get food lodged in visible places from time to time. No one likes to discover that there is a chunk of spinach stuck between two front teeth where everyone can see it every time you smile. One of the nice things about dental floss is that it comes in very small portable packages, so you can cash in on the benefits of flossing any time, anywhere, and always have a perfect smile.