Properly Flossing Your Teeth

Getting those hard to reach spaces between your teeth is not always that easy, depending on your method.

Flossing has long been known to be an integral method in maintaining good dental health, and as such, it is best to know the correct way to do it.

According to most dental care professionals, just brushing your teeth is not enough.

Flossing should not be considered as an optional step in cleaning one’s teeth, rather it should be a given.

“You cannot effectively vacuum a house with only one attachment,” he says. “You need other attachments to get into the nooks and crannies. That’s what floss does,” says Richard H. Price, DMD, spokesperson for the American Dental Association (ADA) and a former clinical instructor at Boston University Dental School.

The benefits of flossing are apparent, but what the specifics involved?

Dental floss can help remove food debris and plaque from those tight spaces between your teeth, where your toothbrush dare not go.

Flossing helps immensely in preventing gum or periodontal diseases, tooth decay, and bad breath.

In addition, there are a few things you should know in order to make the most out of your flossing experience.

The first is making sure that you apply dental floss to your gums and teeth everyday. Also, be sure to be gentle when using dental floss so to avoid damaging gum tissue.

If you find that holding the long thread of floss is too difficult, use a floss holder for comfort.

There is also a wide variety of cleaning aids that serve the purpose of thoroughly cleaning your teeth beyond a toothbrush.

-Waxed dental floss is the most common

-Unwaxed dental floss

-Interdental cleaning aids, including picks and special sticks

-Oral irrigators, which generally use water to remove plaque between teeth

-Mouth rinses

Both waxed and unwaxed are acceptable methods, although waxed floss is said to be able to glide more easily between tight spaces.

“Any floss that slips easily between teeth without hurting and damaging the gums is the floss for you,” says Price. “Ask you dentist for a recommendation. Some have samples you can try. Waxed, unwaxed, high-tech teflon types, nylon types? Just use it.”

The bottom line is that brushing the surface of your teeth is just not enough. You require that extra amount of effort provided by tools such as dental floss to ensure that your dental health is in great shape.

If you have any questions or would like to make an appointment with our dentists, Dr. Evelina Tolchinsky DDS or Dr. Inna Trogan DDS, then please call our office today! (718) 246-5677

Our dentists have served the residents of Brooklyn Heights, Fort Greene, Carroll Gardens, Cobble Hill, Dumbo, and all of our other surrounding New York communities for years.

You can find our office in the heart of beautiful Brooklyn Heights at 100 Pineapple Walk, Brooklyn, NY 11201