Did your doctor ever tell you that you have to undergo teeth scaling? And, did you then wonder how you managed to get dental plaque in spite of brushing twice a day? If yes, then you have been missing on flossing! Do you want to know how to floss effectively?
Flossing is one of the most important yet most neglected dental health practices. You may brush your teeth religiously twice a day, but if you’re not flossing then you’re allowing plaque to settle in between your teeth.
Plaque is a sticky bacterial film that covers your teeth every day. When you brush your teeth in the morning, this film is removed. But, your brush cannot reach in between your teeth and that’s where plaque starts building up. It then transforms into stubborn tartar, which can only be cleaned professionally. Tartar buildup can lead to tooth decay, cavities, and gum diseases and if you want to avoid all of that, it’s time you started flossing!
What Is Floss?
Dental floss is a thin cord that is used to remove tartar stuck between your teeth. Your typical floss dispenser will contain 10 to 100 metres of dental floss. It comes in different varieties like waxed, unwaxed, mint flavored, and fluoride floss. Waxed floss slides in more easily than the unwaxed ones and mint flavored floss leaves a fresh feeling in your mouth.
You can buy a floss pick that holds the floss for you and you can just use it to clean the gaps between your teeth. On the other hand, you can also buy an oral irrigator that uses a spray of water to remove plaque and food particle from your teeth. But, remember that no matter what kind of flossing device you buy, it will only be helpful if you use it regularly.
Why Should You Floss?
As mentioned earlier, tartar can be really stubborn and will not come off by regular brushing and flossing. Over time, this tartar will give rise to gum problems like gingivitis and periodontitis. Brushing is not enough to remove plaque from tight spaces between your teeth and you have to floss if you don’t want bleeding gums.
Weak and bleeding gums will ultimately result in loss of teeth. And apart from that, gum diseases have also been related to chronic health problems like diabetes, cardiac arrest, and heart diseases. If you want to live a healthy life, it’s time you started giving flossing some serious thought.
How To Floss?
Pull out around 18 inches of floss from the dispenser and wrap it around the index fingers of your hand. Slowly push the floss between two teeth and curve it in a C shape around each tooth. Slide it up and down the tooth and just below the gumline. Repeat this process for all your teeth and also behind them. Remember not to push too hard as you might end up cutting your gums.
You can look into a mirror to see if your teeth is getting cleaned. If you floss regularly, you don’t have to exert too much pressure to clear debris from your teeth. You can floss before you brush so that the fluoride present in your toothpaste reaches between your teeth too. Once you’re done flossing, you can rinse your mouth with an alcohol and fluoride-based mouthwash.
You may face some difficulty and awkwardness if you’re flossing for the first time. However, with practice, you will be able to master the technique in no time at all. Visit Dr Vidya Varathan Dental Care to learn the right way of doing it from a dentist if you aren’t sure. We are currently serving patients from Scarborough and Markham areas.
If you want to keep your pearly whites healthy and your gums pink, then you should floss at least once in a day. Make it an everyday ritual and save yourself from a myriad of health problems.