Dental Floss – Secret to Healthy Teeth!

Dental Floss – the real secret to healthy teeth! 

A family dentist joke about the importance of dental floss:

“Which teeth do you want to keep,” asked the dentist.

“Only the ones I floss,” replied the patient.

And that is pretty much it in a nutshell.

Only regular brushing and flossing will remove the bacteria that cause cavities.

Also taking fluoride tablets if necessary and limiting the intake of fermentable carbohydrates will assist in protecting your teeth.

An effective way of removing plaque is of course to always brush your teeth properly to remove that sticky white substance that grows in between and along the bottom of your teeth and gum line.

Rarely is teeth brushing alone enough to remove all plaque, no matter how good a job you do.

To be really diligent in removing all plaque from your teeth it is essential to remember to floss at least once a day.

While most people will make the effort to brush in the morning and at night, few take that extra step of flossing.

Rather than flossing daily, a large number of people floss weekly or even worse, they just don't floss at all.

I know flossing takes a bit of time and a lot of coordination to do properly which is why some people tend to skip it, but like any habit, once you commit to it, it will become easier with practice and repetition.

Our advice is…..just stick at it, within a week or two you will be flossing like a professional.

Naturally as we chew food, some of it gets struck in the spaces between our teeth. The narrower the space, the more difficult these particles are to remove with the bristles of a toothbrush.

In regard to our molars, this task becomes even more difficult because positioning the toothbrush around the tight space in the back of our mouth becomes more complicated with all the twists and turns required.

Flossing your teeth is really easy to do….

….as so worthwhile if done regularly.

Flossing is as simple as wrapping a length of thread around one or more fingers on both hands, and then working the thread up into the crevices between your teeth.

I warn you don't be tempted to use normal sewing thread, as it will more than likely cut your gums and make them bleed. Always use dental floss that is either coated or uncoated with wax. These days floss comes in a variety of flavors and some brands even resist shredding.

To do the job, move the floss back and forth and then up and down in the space between each tooth. This action will loosen the plaque from those hard-to-get-at spaces that toothbrush bristles can't reach.

Most people wrap the floss around their fingers while others just hold it between their fingers to accomplish the task. How you do it doesn't matter as long as you have a firm grip and enough floss length to work with.

Start by gently working the floss in a back and forth in a sawing action being careful to stop just short of the gum. Now wrap the floss around the inside edge of a tooth, making a 'c' shape with the floss.

While you have it there gently move from the base of tooth to gum line, use the floss to scrape the plaque from the tooth. Repeat this for all teeth and don't forget the molars. Flossing those teeth can be awkward at first, but it's absolutely necessary.

Flossing usually only needs to be carried out once a day but it may need to be done more often if you eat things like popcorn or other foods that tend to stick between your teeth.

Dental Floss isn't expensive so there isn’t any excuse not to use as much as you need and as often as you need.

It is good idea to make sure you are relaxed when you are flossing. Never rush and never floss aggressively as both can cause your gums to bleed and set up infections.

While you are flossing remember to avoid letting the string come in contact with the gums at all times.

Now lets look at the correct technique for Tooth Brushing.