We all love a bright, wide smile with shiny-clean teeth but often forget about the essentials of keeping that smile bright. People usually think that brushing their teeth twice a day is enough for their dental health. However, it is not so true!
While brushing twice every day is inevitable, your mouth and teeth require more than that. Flossing and using a mouthwash are the two most important dental hygiene care components.
Flossing has become more widely known in the past years, with social media influencers and various organizations emphasizing the importance of good floss. Yet, many people still think of it as an added step to the routine with no particular benefits and skip it.
Adding flossing to your dental health routine will help prevent cavities and plaque. Let’s tell you about flossing and its benefits in detail.
What Is Flossing?
Flossing means using an interdental cleaner like a string of floss to get rid of any food between your teeth where the bristles of the toothbrush do not reach. It is important to take care of your teeth and save yourself from cavities and plaque build-up. Using an interdental cleaner lets you remove plaque (a sticky layer that forms on the teeth) that contains bacteria feeding on food stuck in the teeth. During the degradation process, an acid is released, which dissolves the outer layer of your teeth, resulting in cavities. Flossing saves you from plaque formation and cavities by conveniently removing the food particles.
However, flossing should not be painful. It may feel uncomfortable at first, but do not put in lots of effort, or you may end up damaging tissues.
How to Floss Flawlessly?
Try this 5-step flossing routine to remove any leftover food particles and prevent cavities.
- Take an 18-inch piece of floss and wrap most of it around the middle finger of one hand. Wrap the rest of it on the same finger of the other hand.
- Once you have wrapped it properly, hold it firmly between the thumb and forefingers to have enough to slide between the teeth.
- Now slide the floss between your teeth using a gentle rubbing motion. Make sure not to push the floss to your gums as it may damage them. Gently slide it up the tooth you want to clean.
- When the floss reaches the gum, gently turn it towards the other tooth in a c-curved motion.
- Now gently rub the floss along the side of the tooth without hitting the gums, and move the floss in an up and down motion. Slowly remove the food particles and slide the floss down.
What to Remember While Flossing?
● Floss all of your teeth carefully without damaging the gums.
● Do not use dirty floss once you have cleaned one tooth with it.
How Often Should You Floss?
The American Dental Association (ADA) recommends cleaning your teeth with floss at least once every day. You may add flossing and using a mouthwash to your dental care regime at different parts of the day.