Flossing Your Teeth
January 1, 2009As well as brushing your teeth, you should also be flossing on a daily basis. Flossing will remove plaque and debris in areas that your toothbrush isn’t able to reach. This is especially important, as a buildup of plaque can lead to gum disease or tooth decay. If you regularly floss immediately after brushing, you’ll discover that your gums and teeth will be much healthier.
When you examine dental floss, you’ll notice there are two main types – nylon and single filament. You can get nylon either waxed or un-waxed, in several different flavors. Nylon floss is made up of several strands of nylon material, meaning that it can shred, tear, or snag between the teeth if it gets caught on sharp teeth. Even though the single filament floss is more expensive than nylon, it will slide easily between teeth, even tight areas and spaces. Unlike nylon, single filament is impossible to shred or tear.
No matter which type of floss you choose, as long you floss on a regular basis, it will remove debris from your teeth and gums. If you’ve never tried flossing before, you will probably be amazed at just how much debris and food particles it can remove. Flossing is recommended by dentists everywhere, as it can reach places that even the smallest of toothbrushes can’t. Food and debris will build up between your teeth, which makes dental flossing very important.
The main excuse many people have for not flossing is the fact that it can result in bleeding gums. Anytime you floss to get at junk between your teeth and around your gums, the floss will rub against your gums, resulting in bleeding. Many people take this the wrong way, and immediately stop flossing, usually for ever. Bleeding is very common, and should be expected with flossing. As you continue to floss regularly, the frequency of bleeding will decrease.
When you brush your teeth with a toothbrush, you miss many food particles and debris that continues to build up in your mouth. No toothbrush is designed to get every area of your mouth, as all of them miss hard to reach spots. With the areas missed by the toothbrush, the debris and plaque will continue to build up until they eventually result in a cavity or decay, and possibly gum problems. To get this debris and plaque before it builds up into something more serious, you’ll need to floss on a daily basis.
If you’ve been avoiding flossing due to the bleeding, you should really get over that fear and floss after you brush. To keep your teeth and gums healthy, you need to both brush and floss your teeth. Regular checkups with your dentist will help as well, although it is up to you to continue your regular maintenance at home with flossing and brushing. If you floss on a daily basis – you’ll quickly realize just how clean your teeth and gums will be.