One of the keys to successful home dental care, flossing cleans between the teeth and gumline to remove food particles and bacteria that are unreachable with a toothbrush. Without floss or a comparable product, such as dental tape or picks, the mouth’s susceptibility to gum disease and tooth decay increases. Here, review important flossing do’s and don’ts to help your smile stay healthy.

Do:

Use the correct technique.

Remove 18 inches of floss at a time and move it between each tooth until you hit the gumline. Make a “C” shape around the tooth to clean below the gumline and remove more plaque and bacteria. Simply running the thread through your teeth is not enough to deep-clean your mouth every day.

Be gentle.

Guide the floss gently between each tooth and down below the gumline since aggressive or rushed strokes can bruise or cut gum tissue. If your gums bleed despite using a gentle touch, do not worry. Gum tissue stops bleeding with digilent, once-daily flossing and other dental care, such as brushing with a soft-bristled brush twice a day.

Don’t:

Reuse floss.

Use a different section of floss to clean each tooth. Never “recycle” the dental care product since doing so re-introduces bacteria and food debris to your teeth and gums. Do not save dental picks and similar products for the same reasons. If you have trouble flossing due to tightly-packed teeth, ask your dentist for alternative recommendations, such as water flossers that irrigate the gums.

Replace the dental tool with mouthwash.

Rinse with mouthwash in addition to brushing and flossing if your dentist recommends it, not as a replacement for either task. Flossing scrapes the gums to remove plaque and bacteria, while antiseptic mouthwash only softens plaque and kills bacteria on its surface. However, certain mouth rinses have been shown to lower plaque and bacterial accumulations when used with regular brushing and flossing. 

Learn more about flossing during your next visit to Carolyn B. Crowell, DMD, & Associates. The dentist in Avon, OH, ensures that kids have fun at her office and offers a variety of dental care services, including laser and sedation dentistry, and orthodontics. Call (440) 934-0149 today to make an appointment or visit the website for dental care service information.