Here’s something you may not know – nearly half the surface area of your teeth lies in between each tooth. The most likely place to find decay in adults is in between the teeth, where your toothbrush doesn’t reach. The fact is, if you’re relying solely on brushing you’re not cleaning a large portion of your teeth. It’s time to floss like a boss.
Daily flossing should be an essential part of your oral care routine and not an optional extra.
Flossing plays a big role in preventing the following:
- gum disease
- tooth decay
- halitosis (bad breath)
That is a lot of upside for just a couple of minutes spent each day!
How to floss like a boss?
- Wind approximately 45 cm of floss around your middle fingers and grip it tightly between your thumbs and index fingers.
2. Keeping the thumb and index close together, gently guide the floss between the teeth, taking care not to cut or damage your gums with abrupt movement. You should use a side-to-side motion to ensure the sides of both teeth are cleaned equally
3. To clean the ‘neck’ of the tooth, which is the point where it meets the gums, curl the floss and insert it gently under the gum.
4. If you need convincing of the benefits, try smelling the floss afterwards, that’s what was sitting in between your teeth!
But I have Braces!
If you have braces, a bridge or implants it is extremely important to floss regularly. You may need to use a greater floss width, incorporate interdental cleaners into your flossing routine, also ask your National Dental Care dentist about superfloss.
Should my kids be flossing?
If you have kids, they should begin flossing as soon as they have two teeth in contact. You should help them until they are about eight years old as they won’t have the dexterity to floss properly. Pick out a colourful toothbrush with your child, or even toothpaste with flavours they like to make it a fun experience for the little one.
How often should I floss?
Ideally you should floss every night, but if you’re currently not flossing at all, start with once or twice a week. As you pick up the daily habit, you will soon start to feel that your teeth aren’t clean unless you’ve flossed. Follow our guide and you will be flossing like a boss!
Remember, you only need to floss the teeth that you want to keep!
Source: National Dental Care
