Government Admits Role In Centuries Long Multi-Billion Dollar Floss Conspiracy

[benjipwns]

http://bigstory.ap.org/article/f7e66079d9ba4b4985d7af350619a9e3/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."

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.

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.

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."

[Phoenix Dark]

Flossing helps prevent periodontal disease.

[thisismyusername]

Flossing helps prevent periodontal disease.

I just knew you'd be the first response.

[Madrun Badrun]

Now i don't feel bad about not flossing, thanks Benji. 


Please make a post about how drinking is calorie free next. 

[benjipwns]

Flossing helps prevent periodontal disease.

Hey, what do you call a doctor who failed out of med school?

[Madrun Badrun]

bankrupt. 

[Joe Molotov]

Flossing helps prevent periodontal disease.

That's what they said about water fluoridation, but now we know the truth.

[toku]

I floss multiple times a day.

[Madrun Badrun]

lol you fool

[Am_I_Anonymous]

I have great to superior teeth at almost 40. No veneers no cheating, I brush, water pick, and floss every day.

YMMV but shit works.

4 cavities and one loose tooth and I promise you I've been hit harder in the mouth than you have. It was my job.

Brush, floss, water pick, stay away from Pop. I mean I love Pepsi so much but only with Taco Bell on cheat day.

PS: once I hit 40 fuck it. Pepsi all damn day.

[Madrun Badrun]

Ya I bet you've taken it really hard in the mouth, repeatedly. Good to know you teeth are still holding up after all that.

[Am_I_Anonymous]

Ya I bet you've taken it really hard in the mouth, repeatedly. Good to know you teeth are still holding up after all that.

Sorry we don't allow small peckered Canadians at this time.



But really that's the opposite of a brag. Dude face mask or no your face takes a beating. Every day from July-February and that's if you're "lucky"

80% of the league on implants by age 28. Trust me.

[Madrun Badrun]

Ya I bet you've taken it really hard in the mouth, repeatedly. Good to know you teeth are still holding up after all that.

Sorry we don't allow small peckered Canadians at this time.

Wait, so you only allow large Americans in?  Or Canadians too if they are big enough?

[Phoenix Dark]

Floss once a day if you want to keep your teeth brehs. Most older adults who have lost multiple teeth didn't lose them due to eating candy or something...they lost them due to untreated periodontal disease, which results in bone loss. In a healthy mouth, bacteria repopulate between your teeth/gums every 24 hours. Flossing daily can prevent that shit from building up into a serious problem

[Am_I_Anonymous]

Ya I bet you've taken it really hard in the mouth, repeatedly. Good to know you teeth are still holding up after all that.

Sorry we don't allow small peckered Canadians at this time.

Wait, so you only allow large Americans in?  Or Canadians too if they are big enough?

I mean if it ain't a yard it's for labs and learning and shit. You already know this, Smallwood.

[Am_I_Anonymous]

Now that's something PD should fund when he makes his loot.

Athletes versus Lab Rats dick size contest. I bet we average 2.5+ inches on average bigger

[ToxicAdam]

Thankfully I'm like a Gila Monster and have gallons of spit in my mouth at all time. My gums are healthy and I barely floss.


Just don't stand in front of me when I talk.


Actually it's not true. I have floss and a toothbrush in my car and that's what I do when I get stuck in traffic.

[bluemax]

Flossing helps prevent periodontal disease.

Hey, what do you call a doctor who failed out of med school?

A chiropractor?

[chronovore]

[Cerveza mas fina]

flossing prob makes sense if you get food stuck, but otherwise...

[Beezy]

Thankfully I'm like a Gila Monster and have gallons of spit in my mouth at all time.

 

[Rufus]

flossing prob makes sense if you get food stuck, but otherwise...

It makes sense otherwise, too. Reduces dental calculus, but I think in Europe (in Germany at least) we're used to going to regular check-ups once or twice a year, where they clean it all away.

[thisismyusername]

flossing prob makes sense if you get food stuck, but otherwise...

It makes sense otherwise, too. Reduces dental calculus, but I think in Europe (in Germany at least) we're used to going to regular check-ups once or twice a year, where they clean it all away.

US would be similar where it's once every six months or so. Problem is dental insurance and if you aren't covered a simple "cleaning" session is kinda pricey. I think PD can correct me on that though.

[benjipwns]

I pay out of pocket and I want to say it's like $280, which every six months isn't that bad, for just yourself. And like $100 of that is for the dentist to look in your mouth for thirty seconds, poke randomly and say something about the weather.

X-rays are expensive tho, but I've never had a cavity and they always talk about my golden god teeth so I only get them done every two years or something unless there's a noticeable change. Maybe last time I got x-rays and $280 is too high. I don't remember.

In other words, like everything in the U.S., "it depends."

"health care costs?"

[Joe Molotov]

I had my wisdom teeth pulled a few years ago, and it was $500 a tooth (I had 3).

[Madrun Badrun]

Is that with or without the tooth fairy mail in rebate? 

[Joe Molotov]

Is that with or without the tooth fairy mail in rebate? 

I was waiting for The Rock, but Larry the Cable Guy pulled up, so I just locked my doors.