Why is flossing important?
While many people wouldn’t go to bed without brushing their teeth, floss is something that commonly gets forgotten.
It is something that many people have been told they need to do, but no one has ever said why. If we understand more why we do something, we are much more likely to do it.
Floss does remove particles of food from between the teeth but this is not the only reason we floss.
In our mouths, we have thousands of bacteria that live in groups called colonies, some good, some bad.
The bad bacteria take over when we feed them with extra sugars from our diet which then leads to holes and gum disease. Read more here about the impact that sugar has on the health of your teeth.
The only thing that removes bacteria is physically removing it, like brushing your teeth. Using mouth rinse alone, the rinse cannot reach the bacteria in the colony and the bacteria survive.
When we floss, the floss goes in between the teeth and breaks up the colonies. Then our saliva and mouth rinses can reach the bacteria and remove them from our teeth, preventing oral disease.
So when we floss and nothing seems to come out, the floss is still working to improve the health of our mouths.
When should you floss?
To have the best effect, we have to do it once a day, preferably at night before bed.
It is a hard habit to get into but once you do, the long term benefit for your health is fantastic!
How do you floss?
Below is a great video that shows you just how to floss. Once you start you will get very quick at it and it won’t take long at all. Initially there may be a small amount of blood, ut that should go away very quickly and only be a small amount.
What floss is best?
Any floss that you will actually use! Some floss is thicker than others and will be better suited to people with bigger gaps between their teeth. Some have minty flavours and some are waxed. You don’t need the most expensive or fanciest floss, just one you actually use.
You can also use interdental brushes like Piksters (we stock them and you can also purchase them from the supermarket or chemist). These brushes are great if you have any large holes that you need to clean. You may not need these if you only have small gaps between your teeth.
How else should I care for my teeth?
In addition to brushing twice daily, flossing once daily, and watching your diet, it is really important that you come in for your 6-monthly checkups with your dentist.
We can assess any minor or emerging damage that exists in your teeth and take action before it becomes an issue. We are always happy to answer questions about flossing and brushing technique. We want to help you manage your beautiful teeth going forward.
Remember, we’re your dentist Maitland!
Keep Smiling 😀