It’s the dreaded question. Your teeth are being cleaned, and you notice the hygienist is taking an awful long time flossing and picking at your teeth. That’s when it happens, “How often do you floss?” Too often the response is “not very often.” It’s more difficult to build a flossing habit because there’s no instant gratification. With tooth brushing, patients’ teeth feel immediately clean, their breath fresh. After flossing, teeth may look dirtier since the plaque and bacteria are pulled from between teeth, and the mouth can feel gritty after flossing. Worse, many patients experience irritated or bleeding gums for the first several weeks of flossing. The good news is that, when patients floss every day for one week, almost all of these complaints go away, and teeth begin to feel better. The challenge is forcing yourself to floss every day with irritated gums and little if any noticeable improvement in oral health. At Amberly Dental, we challenge you to floss every day for one month. We guarantee you’ll notice an improvement in your gums and overall smile health.
Why Flossing is Essential
The question we hear most frequently about flossing is simple: why? Here are some of the top benefits of flossing:
- Decreased risk for gum disease – flossing is the only effective way to remove plaque and bacteria under the gum line preventing gum disease. More than 50% of US adults suffer from some form of gum disease, and this is the leading cause of tooth loss in US adults. Gum (periodontal) disease has also been linked to systemic and chronic illnesses like heart disease, stroke, and diabetes.
- Brushing alone doesn’t cut it – simply brushing twice a day is extremely important, but without the one-two punch packed by brushing and flossing, you’re not adequately removing food, plaque, and bacteria between teeth and below the gums.
- Reverse the effects of dry mouth – dry mouth is extremely common among senior patients and is a side effect of 100s of commonly prescribed medications. Saliva neutralizes acids in the mouth, and without it, bacteria builds up more quickly. Flossing removes extra bacteria stuck on teeth due to lack of saliva.
- Save time and money – by preventing tooth decay, gum disease, and all the related health risks, flossing every day saves patients time and money.
Best Flossing Techniques
We can all agree that flossing is kind of important to oral health, but it doesn’t have to be such a big deal to get it done every day. Start with the right tools. Choose a floss that makes sense for your teeth. Patients with small gaps will likely prefer waxed or other gentle glide flosses, and those with large gaps should look for a more fibrous floss to better remove plaque and food particles. Once you have the right floss, it’s as easy as 1, 2, 3.
- Start with about 18 inches of floss. Wrapping the majority of floss around the middle finger of your dominant hand, and a small amount around the opposite middle finger to anchor leaving about 3 inches to floss.
- Grip the floss between your pointer finger and thumb, and gently move a clean section of floss between teeth wrapping around both sides of the tooth in a “C” shape.
- Repeat for each tooth.
Find Out More From Your Preventive Dentist Waverly
If you’ve avoided dental exams and cleanings for a while, are new to town, or just interested in switching to a new dental practice, call Amberly Dental today. Our skilled dentist is preferred by Waverly residents for skilled, compassionate dental care in a family friendly environment.