Flossing is an essential part of a healthy oral care routine!
As you know, flossing is one of the best ways to take care of your teeth. If you have a dental visit coming up, you should do everything you can to impress your dentist. But let’s look at some other reasons why flossing is so important.
Why You Floss
When you don’t address any buildups of plaque, tartar, or food in your mouth, it can harm your oral health. Not only does it affect your smile, but it can also lead to the early stages of gum disease. That’s one of the major reasons why it’s so important that you floss every day.
Picking a Floss
Now that you know why you need to floss, you need to find the one that’s right for you. You can find floss in two varieties: waxed and unwaxed. You’ll also find flosses with fun flavors, which can encourage you and your kids to practice flossing together. Whatever floss you decide to use, you need to find one that features the American Dental Association’s seal of approval.
Improve Your Technique
You can always improve your technique:
- Stretch out about 18 inches of floss. Then start looping it around your index finger. It should be about 1/3rd of an inch thick at this point. Do the same for your other index finger.
- Hold the floss between your thumb and the index fingers and pull to make it tight.
- Pull the floss through the spaces in between your teeth, starting in the back and working your way to the front.
- Once you’ve reached the gum, twist the floss into a c-shape. Start pushing and pulling to produce an up-down motion. Then slide the floss so you’re using a different section before moving onto a different tooth. By doing this, you can avoid accidental cross-contamination.
- When you’re done, get rid of the floss you just used. Flossing again with previously-used floss is a bad idea because you’ll just be spreading germs and plaque around your mouth, which defeats the purpose of flossing in the first place.
You Can Trust Olney Dental for All of Your Dental Care Needs
For all of your oral care questions and concerns, Olney Dental has the expertise and professionalism to get them the answers they need. Olney Dental is ready to supply you with expert service in a professional environment. Schedule an appointment online today! For more information on how we can give your family the best dentist experience available, give us a call at (301) 250-1057 or contact us online. For more dental tips, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Google+, YouTube, and Pinterest.