American Academy of Periodontology Continues to Recommend Flossing

A graduate of the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, Dr. Dasha Resnansky obtained a certificate in periodontics and earned an award for dental implant placement. She has been treating patients as a periodontist for nearly two decades. In addition to her work in the dental office, Dr. Dasha Resnansky holds active membership in the American Academy of Periodontology.

Composed of 8,200 periodontics professionals, the American Academy of Periodontology (AAP) is a leading authority in overall gum health and the prevention of gum disease. In August of 2016, the organization issued a statement that called flossing an essential component of any effective oral health routine. 

This statement came in the wake of an Associated Press (AP) story, which was picked up by numerous local and national news outlets, that called into question the overall effectiveness of regular flossing. As the story explained, the US Departments of Agriculture and Health and Human Services recently collaborated to remove flossing from the official federal 2015-2020 Dietary Guidelines, citing an overall lack of quality research. 

The AAP, however, calls flossing an essential way to remove plaque. Flossing is particularly important to reach the highly dangerous plaque that occurs in between teeth, under the gum line, and in other places that a toothbrush cannot reach.