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In the battle against tooth decay, the toothbrush and floss are the primary tools used to fight against plaque, the sticky substance that accumulates on your teeth, hardening over time and yellowing your teeth, eventually leading to bigger problems. Ignoring the problem can lead to such problems as bad breath, bleeding gums, gingivitis, and tooth decay if not treated. As with any tool, you need to use them properly in order to get the optimal results. This is especially true with floss.
Flossing also serves a second purpose. Flossing is a workout for your gums, providing your teeth with the strong support they need to last a lifetime.
The best way to learn to floss properly is to ask your dentist or hygienist, who will be happy to demonstrate the appropriate techniques. In general, the steps to proper flossing are as follows:
- Using a 12-18 inch piece of floss, wrap it lightly around the middle finger of each hand.
- Hold the floss using your index fingers as guides.
- Forming a C-shape, slide the floss up and down between your teeth from the top of the tooth to the gum line.
- Repeat on both sides of each tooth.
There are other factors to consider when flossing. Floss comes in more than one style because different features work better for different people. People can choose between:
- Waxed or unwaxed
- Flavored or unflavored
- Tapes or regular
- With or without whitening power
As a rule, waxed floss slides between your teeth easier. Flavored flosses leave a clean taste in your mouth behind, and tape flosses are thick than regular floss.
Something else to consider is the strength of the floss and how likely it is to shred between your teeth. An unpleasant flossing experience can lead to avoidance. The problem is so important to many people that manufacturers spend a great deal of money in the research and marketing of shred-resistant products.
Not only do flosses come in different flavors and thicknesses, you can buy accessories to make your flossing experience easier. People with braces can purchase stringers, especially design to help guide the floss between the braces and the teeth. People with limited dexterity may want to use a dental floss holder or an intra-dental cleaner. An intra-dental cleaner is a polypropylene devise that is impossible to splinter or break. It has a ski-shaped design, allowing for easy insertion between teeth, and it requires less manual dexterity thank flossing.
Overwhelmed with choices? Look for the seal of approval from the American Dental Association (ADA) and follow the advice of your dentist in choosing the best products for your teeth.
When considering the options, either chancing the health of our teeth and gums or taking advantage of the vast array of flossing products available to us, it seems only logical to take the time to adequately provide care to our mouths. If not, you are apt to spend more time and money repairing the damage created by poor oral care than you would have spent taking a preventive stance.
Give your teeth a fighting chance. Take the time to floss everyday.
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