Forget to Floss? There's an App for That!

Despite what recent news articles may allude; ”Feeling guilty about not flossing? No Need! The U.S. government says it’s not necessary!”, flossing is still deemed by dental professionals as an integral part of any oral care routine. While the current hubbub amidst about the government excluding flossing as a necessary guideline for healthy living, Americans have been skipping out on the practice for years despite any government recommendations.

In 2014, a Delta Dental Oral Health and Well-Being Survey found that only 4 of 10 Americans floss and 20 percent never floss (Survey Finds Shortcomings in Oral Health Habits). As a dental professional, many common reasons given for skipping the string include; it takes too much time, I forget, it is painful or uncomfortable, it makes my gums bleed, I can’t fit my hands in my mouth and I ran out of the floss sample you gave me six months ago so I couldn't floss until I came and got some more.

Thankfully, like many things, there’s an App for that! A new smartphone application and text messaging service works to solve at least one of the most common excuses for not flossing; forgetting. Text2Floss , an App created by the Arizona School of Dentistry and Oral Health and partnered with major oral care brands and organizations such as Listerine, Reach, the American Dental Hygienists Association and the Center for Oral Health , aims to improve oral health through interactive reminders to brush and floss. Once enrolled in the program, users are set on a path to improve their oral hygiene practices and to increase their oral health knowledge.

While participation is self-monitored and therefore, not guaranteed, the app’s twice-daily reminders paired with an oral health fact is sure to get you to think about flossing at the least. Still skeptical that a simple App or daily text message will help you change your anti-flossing ways? The findings of the following study may sway your opinion:

In a 7 day study amongst mothers who were recruited from a dental office, after 7 days, it was found that the mothers in the group who receive messages through the Text2Floss program had improved their own oral health behaviors and knowledge as well as their behaviors in regards to their children's oral health. The study concluded that text messaging was a viable way to improve oral health behaviors and knowledge (Hashemian 2015).

Interested in trying Text2Floss? There are two ways to enroll in and use the program:

1. Sign-up online at www.text2floss.com

On their website, you can easily enroll to receive the twice daily text reminders to floss by completing a simple enrollment form that will require your phone number, name, age group* and a created password.

2. Downloading the app to your smartphone

Utilizing the Text2Floss app provides you with many extra features beyond the daily text reminders. In addition to the reminders, users have access to videos, additional resources, specific information relating oral health to systemic diseases such as diabetes and heart health. The app also provides space to store your dentist’s information, your favorite oral healthcare products, and your medical history amongst a myriad of other features.

The smartphone app is a user-friendly option to expand on oral health knowledge beyond the basic Text2Floss service, allowing emphasis to not only be placed on the importance of flossing but on other aspects of oral health as well.

*when selecting an age group many options are given: under 18, age 18-65, over 65, mother with children, cancer and oral health, mother with infant, expectant mother, acid reflux and oral health and sleep apnea and oral health. While you may belong to multiple of these groups, choose the group you will most relate to and would like the information you receive to be most tailored to as this is how they will determine what oral health information is sent with your text reminders.

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References:

Hashemian, T. S., Kritz-Silverstein, D. and Baker, R. (2015), Text2Floss: the feasibility and acceptability of a text messaging intervention to improve oral health behavior and knowledge. J Public Health Dent, 75: 34–41. doi:10.1111/jphd.12068

"Importance of Flossing." Text2Floss. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 Aug. 2016.

Louis, Catherine Saint. "Feeling Guilty About Not Flossing? Maybe There’s No Need." The New York Times. The New York Times, 02 Aug. 2016. Web. 10 Aug. 2016.

"Survey Finds Shortcomings in Oral Health Habits." Survey Finds Shortcomings in Oral Health Habits. American Dental Association, 20 Oct. 2014. Web. 10 Aug. 2016.