Flossing: Why and How to Do it Right

Flossing: Why and How to Do it Right

It’s easy to say you don’t need to floss; the truth is that flossing is even more important than brushing. Your saliva works against the bacteria on the major surfaces of your oral cavity (similarly to a tooth brushing session) but only floss gets down where bacteria has a chance to settle and build into plaque and tartar.

Yet despite its importance, floss is often neglected for several reasons. It’s one of the most difficult, time-consuming personal care activities the modern, fast-paced world has. 22% people claim to floss on a daily basis and only about 18 yards of floss is purchased by each person annually even though they need ten times more to keep their teeth clean.

The Proper Way to Use Floss

A mid-twenty year old new patience was shocked to learn she had gingivitis. “I’ve been flossing every day since I was a teenager!” she said. I asked her to demonstrate. It turns out she’d been taught to slide it between her teeth but not alongside her teeth on each side of the touching teeth.

Situations like these show that flossing incorrectly can be just as detrimental as not flossing at all. Here are four steps to make sure you’re flossing correctly.

Step 1 – Cut an 18 inch length of fluoride-containing floss from its box. Wrap several inches around each of your two middle fingers.

Step 2 – Grasp the string firmly between thumb and first finger and guide it between two teeth with a gentle tugging motion.

Step 3 – Once the floss reaches the gum line, rub it along one side of one tooth, going into the periodontal pocket and then down to where the teeth touch. Repeat on the opposite tooth.

Step 4 – Repeat steps 1-3 on all the teeth in your mouth using a fresh section of floss for each pair of teeth. Don’t forget to do the backside of your molars, where most gingivitis, gum disease, and tooth decay tend to happen.

Flossing Solutions for Unique Situations

If you have a smaller mouth or bigger hands and flossing is hard to do in the back of your mouth, consider using interdental cleaners or small disposable flossers for extra reach.

If you’re teeth are exceptionally tight or misaligned, you might consider a flat variety of floss over the regular round type. The flatter floss better slides into tight spaces and vanquishes plaque from their deep hide-a-way places.

Are you wondering when to start using floss on your children’s teeth? The answer is as soon as they have two touching. You’ll need to assist children with flossing and model a good example until they are around 10-11 years old. This will set them up for successful flossing habits when they are older and on their own.

Make Flossing a Priority

It’s easy to make excuses for not flossing, but the bottom line is that it is vital to your teeth’s health. It’s estimated that as many as 75% of the U.S. population has some form of periodontal disease. I’d put money on the idea that it’s because of the lack flossing going on. So next time you go to brush your teeth, grab and use that little white box of floss first!