Differences Between the Floss Dance and Flossing Your Teeth

Nov 17, 2022

Floss first became commercially available back in 1882, to then become a mainstream consumer product by 1896. Since these days, and for more than 100 years, floss has taken the world by storm as one of the absolute best methods to maintain positive oral health. That is until 2016 when a trendy new dance move called “The Floss” was introduced into our pop culture psyche. While the floss dance doesn’t promote oral hygiene like the original floss does, it’s evident that this popular dance move’s main intention has been to detour the public spotlight away from the string floss which we know and love. In the efforts to differentiate flossing your teeth and the floss dance, let’s clear things up for the online community.


What Exactly is the Floss Dance?

The origins of the ever-popular floss dance can be traced back to a YouTuber named Russell Horning in 2016. Although it wasn’t until May 20th, 2017, when Russel performed the dance on Saturday Night Live alongside Katy Perry, where the dance really became popular across the globe. The popularity of this dance move has continued to stay strong until this very day. To really understand the mechanics of this 21st century dance move, let’s break down the steps on how to perform the floss dance:

  1. Make your hands into fists and stick your arms out in front of you.
  2. Choose a side to swing your arms in, then swing your hips in the opposite direction.
  3. In a fluid motion, keep your arms straight while swinging your hips and arms in the opposite direction as before.
  4. While swinging, make sure one arm is behind your back and one arm is out in front.
  5. Continue swinging your hips and arms from side to side with the beat.
  6. Start this dance move slowly and increase your speed as you gain more confidence.

The dance’s purpose is to imitate traditional flossing using your body, yet this dance doesn’t remove plaque or improve the health of your teeth in any way. While some may argue that performing this dance may provide cardiovascular benefits, this pales in comparison to the many advantages that comes from regularly flossing your teeth.


The Superiority of Traditional Floss

Dental professionals recommend individuals to floss their teeth once or twice a day, while no medical professionals have ever prescribed their patient to floss dance. When the negative health effects of not flossing include gum disease, cavities, bleeding gums, bad breath, and more, it becomes abundantly clear where our priorities should be. Currently, the CDC (Center of Disease Control) reports that 32% of Americans never floss, and 37% of Americans don’t floss daily. Whether it’s a lack of widespread oral hygiene education, or the possibility that the floss dance is taking the public spotlight away from traditional flossing, this has become a nationwide health concern of massive proportions.

An effective method among dental professionals is referred to as C-Shape flossing, which helps you clean both teeth and below your gum line while flossing. Some modern flossing accessories, GumChucks being the prime example, are specifically designed to accomplish C-Shape flossing. Unlike one-piece flossers that hold the floss in a rigid position, GumChuck’s two-handle device gives you better leverage, letting you control the tension of the floss and allowing you to effectively clean the sides of each tooth. The handles make it easier for everyone to floss, especially those with limited dexterity, with the added bonus of never having to stick your fingers in your mouth.

An independent study conducted by the University of Portugal showed that 73.8% of people who tried GumChucks became regular daily flossers. The study measured flossing efficacy as well as efficiency. Through increased compliance, GumChucks helped patients improve their oral health. Additionally, a study conducted at UCLA showed that when using GumChucks, children ages 4-9 flossed more quickly and effectively than children ages 10-15 did with traditional string floss. The research proved that GumChucks allows for faster flossing and greater improvements in gingival health.

GumChuck’s design ensures a flossing experience that’s faster, easier, and more effective than competing flossers or traditional string floss. Our two handles with disposable flossing tips allow you to comfortably reach all your teeth, even those in the back while wrapping the floss around each tooth. This creates the vital “C-Shape” necessary to get below the gum line and effectively clean each tooth.

GUMCHUCKS IS FUN, FAST, AND EASY!

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