Today’s the day! Get out that floss and get ready to do something you tell your dentist you do anyway! But if it’s, ahem, been awhile, read through these few pointers to refresh your flossing skills.
Flossing Frequency
The American Dental Association recommends cleaning between your teeth once a day. Cleaning with floss helps to remove plaque and the bacteria it contains that thrives on the leftover sugar in your mouth from food particles. When that bacteria feeds on leftover food in your mouth, it release an acid that eats away at enamel and leads to cavities. Plaque leads to tartar which can collect near your gum line and lead to gum disease.
Stick to Floss to Unstick In Between Your Teeth
Fingernails, utensils, safety pins, paper… people use all sorts of unconventional tools to unstick food in between their teeth. But they can cause damage to your tooth and the sensitive gum area. It’s best to stick to either the standard string dental floss, dental picks or even water flossers. Water flossers are especially helpful for those with braces or bridges as it can get to areas that are hard to reach with standard flossing methods.
Timing Is Not Everything
When it comes to flossing, timing is not everything. As long as you floss daily, you can do it in the morning, after lunch or before bed to get the benefits of this dental care.
Tiny Teeth Need Flossing, Too!
As soon as your child has two teeth that touch, flossing is a great addition to their daily dental routine. Generally, children younger than 10 or 11 are still maturing in their manual dexterity so a little helping hand from an adult is ideal.
If done daily, flossing should be a pain-free addition to your daily routine. If you do experience pain while flossing, you could be flossing too hard. Minor discomfort initially isn’t uncommon and should ease within a week or two. If you have questions about flossing at your next appointment. It’s never too late to start reaping the benefits of flossing for your teeth.
