Flossing is an essential but often neglected aspect of oral health. According to one study, 20% of people say they never floss. Learning how to properly floss your teeth can help you have better dental hygiene.
Flossing your teeth removes plaque that can hold bacteria. Plaque can cause many problems like cavities, bad breath, and gum disease. Cleaning between your teeth regularly will help solve these issues and help make you healthier.
Flossing is an easy procedure. It is simple to add to your daily brushing routine, and it will help you have better overall dental hygiene. You can floss in the morning or the evening.
Take about 18 to 24 inches of dental floss and wrap it around both your middle fingers, leaving a few inches for you to hold.
Gently pull the floss between your teeth and move it up and down to clean the area. You can guide it with your index finger and thumb. Don’t pull the floss into the gums. Focus on the teeth’s edges at this point. If your teeth are too close together to fit the floss, using a back and forth motion may help get between the teeth.
Near the top of your tooth, wrap the floss around it to form a C shape. You will be able to clean more areas this way, including any space between your tooth and gums that you may have missed. Move the C up and down to help remove plaque.
You can repeat these steps for every space between your teeth. Use a clean piece of floss for each new tooth.
When you are flossing, there are a few things to remember to have a better overall experience.
It is vital to watch out for your gums when you are flossing. You can cut and bruise your gums. These injuries will cause bleeding and pain. If you floss correctly, it shouldn’t hurt, and you may be more likely to do it regularly.
You can still floss with braces. You just have to be more careful. The most important part is to be gentle when you do it. If you are too aggressive, the floss can mess up your braces, leading to problems.
One of the best parts about flossing is that when your dentist asks you if you floss, you can smile and say, “every day.” Not only will your dentist enjoy hearing that, but the extra dental care will also make your next cleaning easier for both of you.
Learning how to properly floss your teeth is just one piece of an excellent dental hygiene routine. Kool Smiles Kids Club offers educational resources to help kids learn healthy dental habits and we have a network of dentists that can help your kids maintain their dental health.