And one part of your effective oral hygiene regimen should be flossing, which can help prevent gum disease. But flossing only works if it’s done properly. Here are some recommendations for getting the best results from your flossing.
Floss Every Day
If you truly want flossing to be effective, it’s important to floss every day. The longer food and plaque stay on your teeth, the more damage they can do. When oral bacteria have a steady supply of fuel from trapped food particles, they can do the most concentrated damage, leading to cavities.
And if plaque stays on your teeth, it can absorb minerals from your saliva–minerals that are supposed to help repair your teeth–and harden into what we call tartar or dental calculus. This tartar is unattractive, can’t be removed by normal home hygiene, and shelters bacteria, allowing them to thrive even more. It’s best to get the plaque off before it has time to harden.
Flossing before bed is especially good because while you’re sleeping your oral environment can change, becoming more favorable for bacteria.
Besides, flossing every day helps you get more practice. The more practice you get, the better you will be at flossing. That means you’ll be able to floss faster and clean better. Unfortunately, despite these benefits, most Americans don’t floss daily.
Try Different Tools
Flossing isn’t the easiest skill to master (that’s why practice helps!), but it can be easier if you’re using the right tools for the job.
Which is that? Well, it depends on you and your teeth. There are many different options for dental floss, including threads, thin tapes, and disposable flossers that can be easier to hold and maneuver. Try using different types until you find the one that seems to work best for you, which means that it’s easy to use and it cleans effectively.
Ask for Help If You Need It
As we said, flossing isn’t an easy skill to master. So what do you do if you can’t seem to floss effectively? Ask for help.
If you are having difficulty flossing properly, we can improve your results. We can demonstrate proper flossing techniques to help effectively remove plaque from all the areas between your teeth and at the gum line where your toothbrush can’t reach. We can recommend other types of floss so you can find one that’s easier for you to use. And we can evaluate your success so you can know where you’re doing well and where you’re not.
Good Oral Health Is a Team Effort
Achieving the best health for your mouth using minimally invasive dentistry is a team effort. If you are looking for a Rochester, NY dentist to help protect your oral health, please call (585) 244-3337 today for an appointment at Contemporary Dentistry.
