Uncle Sam is no longer telling you to floss — apparently because he’s afraid of the Associated Press.
Several recent studies have found that flossing does no real good, so the AP filed a Freedom of Information Act request for the evidence backing the longstanding “floss regularly” recommendation from the departments of Agriculture and Health and Human Services. Oops: The feds admitted they’d never actually looked into it.
Then, in the next version of their guidelines, they quietly dropped the advice. So the AP dug up 25 studies over the past decade that add up to “don’t bother flossing” — and dropped a story that’s gone viral.
Hmm. This has to be the fastest-ever government retreat from a claim about what’s good for you. The feds are still hyping the dietary perils of “excess” salt, though that science is also suspect. And generations of kids got taught the “food pyramid” recipe for healthy eating — which turned out to be entirely wrong.
For the record, the American Dental Association still maintains that “flossing is an essential part of taking care of your teeth and gums.” The American Academy of Periodontology agrees.
It’s still a free country, so make your own choice about whom to trust. We’ll listen to our dentist and keep on flossing.