At Home Guide on Teeth Flossing

Generally, people make up all kinds of excuses for why they do not use the floss on a regular basis.

Some don’t have the time to do it; others constantly forget to buy floss, while others say brushing is actually much more important.

However, dentists are here to help you forget about all these excuses and start flossing your teeth regularly.

You don’t floss because you believe food doesn’t get in between your teeth. The floss is not even used so much in order to remove the food particles, but in order to remove the dental plaque.

Plaque is actually a bacterial ecosystem that is formed directly on the surface of the tooth, in between brushings. The number one reason for tooth decay, gingivitis or periodontal disease is plaque formation. The only method, with which you can successfully remove plaque, is by flossing regularly.

Many people don’t floss, because they don’t even know how exactly to use the floss effectively. According to the ADA, there are some simple rulers that you need to follow in order to use the floss effectively:

• You need to use about 18 to 20 inches of floss. Make sure to wrap most of the floss around the middle finger of one of your hand, and what remains wrap it around the middle finger of your other hand. Use your thumbs and forefingers to grasp tightly the floss, and start guiding the floss in between your teeth with gentle motions.
• Always follow the contour of your tooth with the floss; be careful not to hurt your gums
• Move the floss up and down on the sides of your teeth
• Repeat the procedure with the rest of your teeth.
• Be careful to “release” fresh floss sections as you move on to another tooth.

It might sound to you like a process which takes a very long time.

However, with a little bit of practice, you will do everything automatically and the fresh and clean sensation you will get after flossing the teeth makes investing those 3 minutes worthwhile.

For people who find it extremely difficult to coordinate the fingers inside the mouth, there are the floss holders available. These holders are plastic devices, which allow one handed use of the floss.

They can be used even by people with weak manual dexterity, partial paralysis or strong hand pain.