That Flossing Shit

Somebody at the Associated Press got a bug up their ass about the government, dentists, and TV commercials urging them to floss so they filed a Freedom of Information Act asking the Department of Health and Human Services to provide the supportive evidence behind their long-standing flossing recommendations. The HHS found nothing.

The AP reporter contacted the American Dental Association, various dentists and government health officials, all of whom could at best point to shoddy haphazard studies on the benefits of flossing conducted by Johnson & Johnson and Procter & Gamble both of whom happen to sell a shit ton of dental floss. The National Institute of Health fell back on “it doesn’t cost much and it can’t hurt”. There’s a law that HHS can’t promote heath guidelines without medical study support so they had to officially nix flossing after thirty-seven years of rote recommendations.

Every story noting the lack of dental health benefits from flossing had overwhelming numbers of people writing in to note how they still ardently believe flossing is vital. Perhaps the more comprehensive report was in the Jenny McCarthy health newsletter. People like to floss because they’ve been told flossing is healthy for their teeth and gums since childhood. Also, some just appreciate the ritual. Less seem concerned with the proposition that back in the 1970’s some corporate lobbyist sent a campaign contribution to a Congressman to get the government to begin a campaign of promoting flossing as an essential part of a daily health routine. This process is how many if not most Federal guidelines on “healthy living” are produced. You start adding in grade school liturgy, public service announcements, and cute cartoon characters and soon you have a good chunk of the public blindly trusting in a medical practice that suddenly seems routinely obvious. It wasn’t. 

Floss if you want. Everybody has their masturbatory health and hygiene habit that if pressed they can’t medically defend. Gluten-free is genius marketing to the tune of many billions of dollars. It’s never a bad idea to get the occasional bug up your ass and ask to see the research. People who question authority tend to be more intelligent than those who don’t. People who constantly question authority are tiresome assholes. Proceed accordingly.