When it comes to oral hygiene, most people overlook flossing as the less important partner of brushing, but flossing is actually really important, especially if you want to keep your pearly whites looking bright and healthy. Flossing should never be a substitute for brushing; rather, you should brush and floss together to keep dental disease at bay and your smile looking radiant and gorgeous.
Why is flossing so important?
Flossing is essential for good oral health because it covers areas that you can’t reach properly with a toothbrush. When you brush, you clean the surfaces of the teeth, but you can’t fit a toothbrush head into the cracks between your teeth and it can be difficult to angle your brush to clean the gum line effectively. This is where flossing comes into play; with dental floss, you can remove plaque, bacteria and left over bits of food from the spaces between your teeth and the areas where your teeth meet your gums, which helps to reduce the risk of decay and gum disease.
Flossing tips
Flossing is easy, but it can take some getting used to. If you’ve not flossed before, be patient, as you will get the hang of it. Hold a piece of floss between your thumb and fingers and then gently guide it through the gaps between your teeth; use a new piece of floss for every tooth and never pull at the tape, as this could hurt your gums.
Many people ask about bleeding when flossing. Although it is common for the gums to bleed when you first start flossing or when you have not flossed for a long time, it is not normal for the gums to bleed on a regular basis and if you experience frequent bleeding when you floss, or you notice blood when you clean your teeth, we advise you to call and make an appointment. Bleeding gums can be a sign of gum disease and it best to rule that out as quickly as possible.
You’ve seen the adverts, read the book and bought the products in Leeds- so there should be no excuse for failing to look after your teeth. Of course, if you like the more wayward lifestyle, you will have to work extra hard to look after your teeth…but the products are there if you care to use them and over the years, they have come on incredibly so there is something there for everyone. Toothpastes- plaque, gum disease, whitening…it’s all there for you and when it comes to the brushes themselves, there is a fantastic choice between electric and the old manual ones- both work well if you use them correctly and can offer salvation to your mouth. Back this up with dental floss, inter-dental brushing and a fine mouthwash and you may well be putting dentists out of a job; of course, before you get too sure of yourself and think that you can ‘sack’ your dentist, bear one thing in mind: if you don’t have a digital imaging machine at home and the gall to drill your own teeth and fill them when anything goes wrong, you will need your dentist as a back-up when you’ve taken your eye off the game and let in evils such as gum disease and tooth decay. Also, a dentist is the finest person to ask about caring for your teeth as well.
In taking care of your teeth you face many dilemmas such as the strength of the bristles you choose for your brush and whether you ought to use dental floss or dental tape. Another issue that many people wrestle with is that of fluoride and whether it is helpful to use it to aid in the fight against plaque.
