How Often Are You Flossing?
Do you floss your teeth every day? We often speak about the importance of brushing your teeth properly a minimum of two times per day, but using dental floss daily is just as important. When you visit our office for an oral hygiene examination, we can tell if you are flossing your teeth daily or not. Even if you brush as thoroughly as possible, you can’t fully remove the food and bacteria lingering between the teeth and along the gumline. Read on to learn more about the problems you may experience if you are not flossing your teeth daily.
Importance of Flossing
Even if you brush your teeth perfectly, it is still necessary to floss your teeth daily. Each time you eat, you introduce food and bacteria into your mouth. It is very easy for pieces of food to get trapped between the teeth and along the gumline, and they are not easy to remove even when brushing your teeth. Dental floss is necessary to reach between the teeth and along the gum line. If the food and bacteria are not removed, they will eventually turn into acid, eat away at the tooth enamel, and cause decay. This is one of the reasons people get cavities between their teeth and develop gum disease.
How to Floss
Do you feel comfortable using dental floss? We know that it can be tricky to figure out how to use dental floss properly if you are unfamiliar with it. We love helping our patients learn how to brush and floss their teeth properly. Before your next visit, we want to share two helpful tips so you can feel confident about flossing your teeth.
- It is important to use gentle motions and not push the floss into your gums or use rough strokes. It is very easy to cause trauma to the gums.
- When flossing, take a small amount of floss and wrap it around both of your middle fingers so you can control a small piece at a time. Then, you will make a C shape and curve the floss under the gumline of each tooth instead of just moving it up and down.
If you have questions about brushing and flossing your teeth or need to schedule an oral hygiene examination or recommended dental treatment, we encourage you to contact our office located in Wilmington, DE to schedule an appointment. We are happy to help patients in Wilmington, Pike Creek, Newark, DE and the surrounding areas. We look forward to seeing you soon.
