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The British Dental Association has said there is little point in flossing, despite it being widely recommended by dentists around the country.

Scientific advisor to the British Dental Association, Professor Damien Walmsey, has stated the health benefits associated with flossing had not been proven.

The Birmingham University professor’s analysis comes after the US government stopped recommending flossing because there was no scientific evidence of the benefits.

Prof Walmsley said: “The difficulty is trying to get good evidence. People are different and large studies are costly to do ... until then you can't really say yes or no.”

An Associated Press investigation looking at 25 studies over the last decade found evidence for flossing is "weak, very unreliable", of "very low" quality, and carries "a moderate to large potential for bias".

The British Dental Association said: “Small inter-dental brushes are best for cleaning the area in between your teeth, where there is space to do so.

“Floss is of little value unless the spaces between your teeth are too tight for the interdental brushes to fit without hurting or causing harm.”

Flossing can also occasionally cause harm, with a poor technique leading to damaged gums and teeth.

A Public Health England spokeswoman confirmed they would consider these findings.

Dentist Levi Spear Parmly is credited with inventing floss in the early 19th century and by 1874 dentists were widely recommending its use.