The importance of dental floss

Dental floss has proven to be very useful when it comes to oral hygiene. Dental floss helps people stay safe from gum disease by removing leftovers and plaque stuck between teeth. Plaque is a very sticky substance that consists of different kinds of bacteria and if it accumulates, the bacteria can cause irritations and lead to inflammation, so flossing is a good way of limiting this problem.

Dental floss is usually used when people need interdental cleaning or cleaning between teeth. Now that we know how important dental floss is, let’s see how we can use it.

Dental floss consists of a very thin and soft thread that is made from plastic or nylon. Its primary goal is to remove food leftovers and plaque. Alternatively, floss can be replaced with dental tape because some people find it simpler to use.

If you use dental floss in a wrong way, you can potentially damage the gums so you must be sure that you are using this product in the right way. First of all, cut some dental floss (18’’/45 cm) and wind each end to the middle fingers. Hold the dental floss with the forefinger and thumb until you get a straight line that’s about 2’’/5 cm long. Next, put the floss between teeth and slowly go up and down right under the gum line. Once it touches the gum line, curve the dental floss and get a C-shape against one of the teeth and feel the pressure. Keep holding the dental floss against that tooth and slowly scrape it, staying away from the gum line. Do the same for the next gap between your teeth. You should use dental floss between each tooth.

Many people experience low-intensity bleeding from the gums when they start using dental floss but this is nothing to worry about because this is a natural reaction to the removal of plaque. If this bleeding continues, it is highly recommended to visit a dentist.

If you can’t get used to using dental floss, you can also try using an interdental brush or dental floss holder, both of which are very effective.

For more advice about flossing and dental hygiene, please contact us now.