This Flossing Mistake Can Make Your Gum Disease Worse

Even though flossing is an important tool to treat gum disease, it may make infected gums feel tender or even painful. This leads many patients to make a devastating mistake: avoiding the swollen, bleeding spot.

Bleeding gums are a sign of a problem, but they’re not an injury. They’re a symptom, and flossing is the treatment. “It’s actually the repair process in your body [that’s] causing the bleeding,” says Jennifer Jablow, DDS, dentist in New York City. “It’s important that you floss and clean that area regularly, or it won’t resolve and it will get worse.”

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Written by:

Lauren Smith, MA

Lauren Smith, MA, has worked in health journalism since 2017. Before joining GoodRx, she was the senior health editor and writer for HealthiNation.

Reviewed by:

Brian Clista, MD

Dr. Clista is a board-certified pediatrician who works in private practice in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He previously served as a National Health Service Corporation Scholar in the inner city of Pittsburgh for 11 years.

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