(Newswire.net — July 18, 2019) — When thinking about oral hygiene and health, brushing regularly, regular dental checkup, and avoiding sugar and nicotine are usually the first things that come to mind. Not with flossing, which is usually near the bottom of the dental hygiene checklist.
According to CDC, just over 37% of Americans are flossing daily, but flossing regularly has so many benefits, such as:
The Benefits of Flossing
Why, after all, should we do flossing besides brushing and regular mouthwash?
While brushing is pretty effective in cleaning the surface of your teeth, the bristles of the toothbrush can’t reach the space between each tooth. This is where flossing can be effective, leading to various benefits such as:
- Preventing gingivitis—which is, gum inflammation—. Gingivitis can be severely painful, involving symptoms like severe swelling and even bleeding. A major cause of gingivitis is plaque buildup on the gum line, which can be cleaned effectively through flossing.
- Treating bad breath. One of the most common causes for bad breath is tartar buildup, and flossing can effectively remove tartar in between your teeth and on your gums. Many people with bad breath have reported improvements as fast as just a week.
- Preventing heart diseases. There has been an increasing amount of evidence linking oral and teeth diseases with the increased risk of heart disease. With flossing, you can help clean the bacteria in your mouth, which can cause blood clots and eventually heart diseases when it enters your bloodstream.
- Control diabetes. Similar to the heart disease prevention benefit, flossing regularly can help clean oral bacteria, which can affect your blood sugar level. Floss at least once a day to help stabilize your blood sugar level.
As you can see, flossing offers various benefits even outside oral health and hygiene, and these are just the tip of the iceberg.
So, the next question is, how can we floss properly and effectively? Here are some tips.
How To Do a Proper Floss: A Step By Step Guide
How often should we floss? The general consensus is to floss at least once a day. Flossing the wrong way not only won’t be effective, but can do you more harm than good Here is the step-by-step guide to floss properly:
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Use around 18 inches of floss, wound a third of it around one of your middle fingers, and another third around the opposite hand.
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Use your pointing fingers and thumbs to hold the floss tightly.
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Now, use a gentle, rubbing motion to guide the floss between your teeth, one by one. Pay extra attention not to scratch the floss into your gums.
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Curve the floss into a c-shape against one tooth as it reaches the gum line. Gently floss the space between the gum and the tooth.
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Gently rub the side of each tooth by moving the floss slowly away from the gum line with a soft up and down motion. Don’t miss the rest of your teeth and the back side of each tooth.
Throw the floss away after each use, it can contain a lot of bacteria which can be harmful, and re-using a floss simply won’t be as effective.
Tips For More Effective Flossing
1.Before or After Brushing?
This is often the subject of heated debates, but the truth is, it doesn’t really matter. You can floss your teeth before or after a brush, or even any other time of the day. Pick a time when you have just a few minutes everyday. If you are comfortable with doing it just before bed, no problem. If you are usually tired at night, probably doing it in the morning is a better idea.
Just pick a time and commit.
2. How often?
As mentioned, you should at least floss once per day to prevent plaque and bacterial buildup. Remember that it only takes a couple extra minutes, and a floss is s much cheaper than going to the dentist for a toothache (or even worse diseases).
3. Which type of floss is the best?
There are generally two different types to choose from: monofilament or multifilament floss.
Multifilament (or nylon) floss utilizes multiple nylon strands that can break or shreds, but is generally more affordable. If you have tight teeth spaces, however, a nylon floss will often tears.
Monofilament floss, on the other hand, is made with a single strand of polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), which is stronger and softer, but is usually more expensive.
So, in general it will come down to whether you have tight spaces between your teeth. If necessary, consult with your dentist for a recommendation.
4. Don’t give up
If you are not used to flossing (or haven’t used the right technique we have shared above), flossing might hurt your gum or even cause minor bleeding. This is fairly normal. Don’t give up and attempt to make it a routine.
After one or two weeks, you should be familiar with the process and the pain should stop. If there’s too much bleeding or the pain isn’t normal, however, contact your dentist immediately.
5. Helpful tools
If flossing is too difficult or too painful at first, there are various tools that can help you or even substitute the floss, such as flossers (pre-threaded), dental picks, waterpik, and others.
Consult your dentist about these options, and ask them for advice on how to use these alternatives. This is especially useful for older people and children (yes,they also need flossing). Teach your children early and help them at first until they can do it by themselves.
6. What if I have braces or sensitive gums?
If you have sensitive teeth and gums, especially if your gums bleed easily, there are softer flosses available that can help. They are typically more expensive, but will be worth it at least until your gums are familiar with the process.
For those who currently wear braces, there are specialized flosses designed for this, where you can slide it beneath the main wire of your braces.
End words
Flossing regularly as a habit can provide various benefits inside and outside oral hygiene. It is fairly affordable, easy to do, and will only require an extra one or two minutes a day, so there’s definitely no reason not to do it. If you haven’t already, it’s time!