Is Horse hair stronger?

We would think thick hair is stronger but research shows that thin hair tends to be stronger than thick hair because of the way that it breaks.  Thin hair from a child is stronger than thicker hair from an adult. Horsehair, obtained from the neck and tails of horses is coarse, strong, lustrous, and resilient. The hairs are used for fabrics, paint, industrial, and domestic brushes. They are also used as strings of fine violin bows.

Success of surgery depends on wound closure and healing. Suturing with horsehair was routinely practiced in the ancient times. Floss and toothpicks were found in the mouths of prehistoric humans, suggesting that they used them to remove food debris from their teeth.

It is known that horse hair was used as the first type of dental floss. Horse’s hair was also used as bristles in early toothbrushes. In 18^th century, Dr. Levi Spear Parmly an American dentist introduced the idea of using waxed silken thread to remove plaque and food debris after brushing. Flossing and brushing daily could make a big difference in oral health. In 20^th century, Dr. Charles Bass was instrumental in converting the floss material from silk to nylon.

Floss should be at every home for the use at every day. Most of us don’t do it. It is due to:

1. Not aware.
2. Assuming it as too difficult to do.
3. Don’t take time to do it.

However, flossing has been followed for centuries and plays a very important role in dental care. Flossing gets to the parts of the tooth where toothbrush can’t get to. It removes the tiny particles of food between the teeth. Flossing mechanically removes the microscopic clusters of plaque producing bacteria before it colonizes and form a hard calcified tartar, which will penetrate into the lower parts of the tooth near the gum. Flossing will certainly prevent the tooth decay & gum disease and in fact to heart diseases.

Dental plaque is a clear sticky film that coats the teeth. When sugars / starches are not removed from the teeth, bacteria quickly begin feeding on them and form plaque. Plaque can harden under or above your gum line into tartar. Tartar makes plaque more difficult to remove and creates a shield for bacteria.

Bacteria metabolize these left over sugars into acids. Acids are the metabolic by-products in the Glycolytic pathway. The acids formed in plaque remove the outer enamel. This erosion causes tiny openings in the enamel. Once areas of enamel are opened, the bacteria and acid reach the next layer of teeth, called dentin. This layer is softer than enamel and less resistant to acid. Dentin has tiny tubes that directly communicate with the nerve of the tooth causing sensitivity. Moving next is to the inner tooth material [Pulp] that contains nerves and blood vessels. The pulp becomes swollen and irritated from the bacteria. Because there is no place for the swelling to expand inside of a tooth, the nerve becomes pressed, causing pain.

Root canal treatment [RCT] is needed when the pulp has been damaged by a bacterial infection. The pulp may become inflamed if it is infected by bacteria, allowing the bacteria to multiply and spread into various parts of body. RCT can save the tooth and next way out is extraction and next by implants.

So, to prevent RCT, extraction and implants, dental care is very important. Add flossing as a routine addition before brushing the teeth. Only about 30% of the world population do flossing. Dental caries [Tooth decay] in permanent teeth is the most common health condition according to the Global Burden of Disease 2019 and the third highest disease after cancer and heart attack.

Get a floss from the medical store and keep it at home. Educate your children the importance of flossing, so awareness and importance of dental care passes onto the generations to come from childhood!

Do flossing along with your child, as they copy you and later, it will become a routine for them. So, start from today!

Thank you Dr. Uma Swaminathan – MDS, Esthetic Dentist, Oral & Maxillofacial Pathologist- Bengaluru for the valuable inputs given in the subject of Flossing!

Note-The images given for representation in this blog are taken from Google / Unsplash Images. Many thanks for Google & Unsplash.