How to floss properly, and what type of floss is best for you.
Everyone knows that brushing and flossing daily are key to keeping your teeth healthy and your oral health good. Frequent brushing helps resist gingivitis (early stages of gum disease), tooth decay, bad breath, and ultimately gum disease and tooth loss. Flossing is the companion to brushing, where after you have cleaned off the surfaces of the teeth and the gums, you get between the teeth, hitting areas that the toothbrush can’t reach as easily. However, when it comes to flossing and brushing, it’s not just important to do it regularly, it’s important to do it properly as well; this means doing it at the right time, using the right materials, and not inadvertently damaging your teeth or gums.
Types of Dental Floss
First and foremost, make sure you are using a good type of dental floss for yourself, some dental floss is wider, which decreases pressure on the gums, while some dental floss is tougher, which can resist breaking.
Standard floss
This is a thin piece of nylon that can easily fit between your teeth. There are various types of it as well, such as waxed or unwaxed. Waxed is better for fitting between teeth that are set closely together, unwaxed can be a little bit more irritating on the gums as well, as there is more friction.
Nylon vs Single filament
Nylon floss composed of multiple threads can start to come apart when getting between close-set teeth. Single filament floss may be a bit more expensive, but it resists fraying.
Dental tape
This is a ribbon-type piece of floss that is flat like linguine pasta. It is great for using if you have braces, dental bridges, artificial teeth, or big gaps between your teeth.
Super floss
Super floss is designed for people with braces, implants, bridges, and wide gaps as well. It has a hard, easy to insert part that can easily go between retainers and braces, and a spongy part that removes plaque. It comes in pre-cut segments, so you don’t have to worry about having too much or too little.
Floss threaders
Floss threaders are small plastic needles with a hole that floss can be threaded through. They exist to help people with hardware in their mouths clean their teeth more easily – with a threader, you need to purchase your own floss separately.
Floss picks
Floss picks are little plastic forks with two tines; the string is strung up between the tines, giving the person flossing some extra reach in getting between the teeth. Floss picks can be useful for those with arthritis or other trouble using the hands and fingers for standard flossing.
Electric and water flossers
These are a totally different type of thing, using water to achieve the same end goal as flossing. Read more about what they do, and how they work here.
Whatever type you choose, all flosses are great at removing plaque and debris from the gums and between the teeth.
Proper Technique
When to floss
The best time to floss is at night, before bed. Debris from eating during the day is cleared out of the mouth and will not cause tooth decay while you are asleep. During sleep, there is no water drinking, or other mouth cleaning, so it’s prime time for microorganisms to grow in the mouth.
How to floss
- Pull out about 18 inches of floss.
- Wind most of the floss around the middle fingers of each hand, leaving about 2 inches to work with between the hands.
- Holding the floss taught, slide it gently up and down between the teeth. Be certain that you go between the teeth two times each- rubbing primarily against the left and right side of each tooth gap.
- Floss gently around the base of each tooth. Don’t force the gumline down. Forcing the floss down can damage the gums.
- Change the sections of floss you use as you move from gap to gap.
Remember, being slow and gentle is the key here. The last thing you want to do is hurt your mouth.
Need any help with your oral health?
If you want to make sure you are staying on top of your dental health, let us help. Josey Lane Dentistry has been faithfully serving the Carrollton Texas area for years. We do check-ups, can offer dental health advice, and specialize in oral surgery. If you want to be certain that you and your family’s teeth are in the best hands, let us know, we’re happy to help.
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