Americans can now be scientifically divided into three categories:

1. Those who floss daily
2. Those who never floss
3. Those who fall somewhere in between

The first nationally representative analysis designed to determine how many people floss their teeth found that those who floss daily amount to 30 percent of the population.

Just over 37 percent report less than daily flossing; slightly over 32 percent say they never floss.

This data was compiled from a representative look at the nation’s health habits based on interviews and physical examinations of 5,000 people a year. One section of the survey asked about flossing.

Done properly, flossing removes food particles that stick to teeth creating colonies of bacteria that promote inflammation and gum disease. Over time, these colonies, called plaque, harden into tarter and wear away at gums and bone, eventually causing tooth loss.