Why Flossing is Essential
Flossing is just as important as brushing when it comes to maintaining a healthy smile. While brushing cleans the fronts, backs, and tops of your teeth, dental floss reaches the tight spaces in between where plaque and food particles easily accumulate. Without regular flossing, you miss cleaning up to 35% of your tooth surfaces, leaving you vulnerable to cavities and gum disease.
Step-by-Step Flossing Guide
- Measure and Wind: Use about 18 inches of dental floss. Wind most of it around your middle fingers, leaving a couple of inches to work with.
- Hold and Slide: Hold the floss tautly between your thumbs and index fingers. Gently slide it up and down between your teeth. Never snap it into your gums.
- Curve into a C-Shape: Curve the floss into a C-shape around the side of each tooth and slide it beneath the gumline.
- Be Thorough: Slide the floss against the tooth to scrape away plaque. Use a clean section of floss for each tooth. Don't forget the back of your last teeth.
Alternatives to Traditional Floss
- Floss Threaders: Great for braces or dental bridges where traditional flossing is difficult.
- Water Flossers: Excellent supplement for flushing away debris from hard-to-reach areas.
- Interdental Brushes: Small cylindrical brushes designed to clean wider gaps between teeth.