More than a quarter of patients admitted to lying to their dentist about our flossing habits. A study from the British Dental Health Foundation also revealed that one in three Brits admitted that they have never flossed their teeth!
Our Leicester dentists recommend that you floss at least once daily. Flossing removes food and plaque from between the teeth – an area that your toothbrush cannot reach! Your teeth have five surfaces, and toothbrushing only cleans 3 of them.
It is essential to clean between the teeth because plaque buildup can lead to gum disease and tooth decay. Daily flossing is imperative if you want to keep your teeth for the rest of your life.
Most people find flossing simple and quick once they get the hang of it. However, it is crucial to ensure you are flossing correctly.
Here is our step by step guide for correct flossing:
1) Start with about half a metre of floss or dental tape
2 Wind most of the floss around each middle finger, leaving about 3-4cm to work with.
3. Holding the floss tautly between your thumbs and index fingers, slide it gently through the teeth, curve the floss around the base of each tooth making a C shape, making sure you go beneath the gum line. But never force the floss, as this may cut or bruise delicate gum tissue.
4. After each tooth roll the dirty floss on to the finger and move on to the next tooth using a clean section of floss.
5. Continue to do this as you move from tooth to tooth until you have done all of the teeth.
It is quite likely that your gums may bleed during the early stages of flossing. Do not let this put you off! Bleeding gums is a sign that you should most definitely be flossing. Any bleeding should resolve after 3-4 days.
If flossing is too tricky for you; for instance, you have a medical condition such as Parkinson’s or arthritis, there are alternatives.
Thankfully there are many alternatives to flossing nowadays. Floss sticks can be a great alternative to floss if your fingers are a little too big to fit inside your mouth or you find the floss a bit fiddly. It is a piece of floss attached to a plastic handle.
A popular alternative and one which our dentists at Smile Essential Dental Practice often recommend are Tepe brushes. These are a type of interdental cleaning brush. People often find them much easier to use. They come in a range of sizes, so it’s vital to get a recommendation from your dentist.
If you have any questions about cleaning or are unsure if you should floss or maybe use something else, then speak to your dentist at your next dental health check. We’re here to help.
