Achieving healthy teeth is a lifelong process. It is very important that we take care of our oral health to prevent problems. This involves brushing your teeth twice a day and at-home and dental flossing.
You can floss away from the gums cavities, plaque, and tartar that might be present in your Mouth.
This article discusses Dental Flossing, its types, use, benefits, and more. Keep reading to know more.
How to Maintain Your Oral Health?
To keep your oral health on point, you can take the following steps.
Do Not Go to Sleep Without Brushing Your Teeth
A dentist recommends that you should brush your teeth twice a day for dental and oral care.
Many of us neglect to brush our teeth before going to bed; however, brushing our teeth before gets rid of germs and plaque that accumulate throughout the day.
Doing a poor job of brushing your teeth is equally as bad as not brushing your teeth.
Best Dentists in Dubai recommend that you need to take time while brushing your teeth, move your brush in circular motions and gently remove plaque.
Unremoved plaque can become tartar if not removed on time.
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Dental Flossing Is As Important As Brushing
Many of us who brush regularly ignore flossing our teeth. Flossing involves cleaning between your teeth and gums.
Dentists suggest that flossing is important as it stimulates the gums, reduces plaque, and help lower inflammation in the area.
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Use a Fluoride Toothpaste
While selecting toothpaste, there are a number of them available in the market for maintaining oral care.
No matter whether you choose whitening toothpaste or some flavor, make sure it contains fluoride.
Studies suggest that fluoride helps against tooth decay as well as providing a protective barrier for your teeth.
Studies suggest that mouthwash helps us in three ways.
1. it reduces the amount of acid in the mouth,
2. cleans areas that are hard to brush,
3. re-mineralize the teeth.
Mouthwashes are a useful tool to bring things to balance into the mouth. Consult your best dentists in Dubai about what type of mouthwash you can use.
You should also get dental flossing professionally in a dental clinic in Dubai.
So what is Dental flossing? Let’s discuss that below.
What is Dental Flossing?
Dental flossing is an important oral hygiene habit. It helps you clean and dislodge food stuck between your teeth which can cause tooth cavities and plaque if not taken out.
Cavities
A cavity is formed due to the excess presence of acids that damage the outer coating of the tooth.
When we eat food and take drinks frequently that have sugar components in them, then the acid attacks on the tooth increases. The repeated cycle causes the enamel of the tooth to decay.
As a result, a white spot may appear where minerals have been lost. This is a sign of early tooth decay.
Plaque
A sticky film coating formed on your teeth is known as plaque. It is a community of living microbes on our teeth that is surrounded by a polymer layer.
To understand it more, it is a sticky film or coating that coats our teeth when we wake up in the morning.
As mentioned above, if we do not brush our teeth regularly at least twice a day, and floss away from the gum to remove food stuck between the teeth, it can cause cavities and plaque.
Types of Dental Flossing
There are several options for Dental floss available in the market.
Floss once daily with 18 inches of floss thread to maintain dental care. You can choose from the types of floss.
Un-waxed Floss: It is made of thin nylon strands and typically has no flavor. It fits into tight spaces and slides easily between your teeth easily and is easy to hold.
Waxed Floss: It is made of nylon strand with a light wax coating. It may or may not contain a cinnamon-flavored coating. It is sturdier than un-waxed floss and easily slides between the teeth.
PTFE Floss: It is made of a material known as polytetrafluorethylene that is used in high-tech Gore-tex fiber. It slides easily between the teeth easily.
It is beneficial for people with crowded teeth.
Dental Tape: It is thicker and flatter as compared to regular floss. It comes in both waxed and un-waxed forms. It is a good option for people who have bigger gaps between the teeth.
Super Floss: It comes in pre-cut segments. It has stiff ends that help thread it through tight areas. It is great for people who have bridges, braces, and implants in their mouths.
Electric Flosser: it is like a fish wire of nylon that vibrates between the teeth in a back and forth motion.
Water Flosser: It is a device that shoots a thin stream of water between your teeth or at the gums. This device helps you remove plaque and food particles with ease.
Of course, it is not enough to floss it. It is important to floss correctly. Flossing incorrectly can cause damage to the teeth and gums causing infections.
Here is a step-by-step guide on how to floss your teeth properly.
Flossing: Steps To Follow
Follow these steps to floss your teeth correctly.
Break off about 18 to 24 inches of floss cord. To hold it correctly, wind most of the floss around both of your middle fingers. Leave only about 1 to 2 inches of floss for your teeth.
Hold the floss firmly between your forefingers and thumb as these will help you manipulate the floss.
The floss should be maneuvered between the teeth by gently rubbing and with a curved motion to slide it between teeth until it meets the gum line.
Slide the floss gently between your gums and teeth.
You should hold the floss firmly against the tooth and rub it along the surface with a gentle up and down movement.
Continue this motion until the back of your tooth is reaches. Follow this process for your remaining teeth.
Water Flossing
Another technique that you can use is water flossing. It is a handheld device that sprays water steadily to remove debris in the mouth.
This technique is a great option for those who have dental braces or permanent fixed bridges.
Floss Holder
Some people find it difficult to use a flossing cord. It can cause damage to your teeth and gums if you do not follow the instructions of using a cord properly.
In such a case, the dentist recommends using a floss holder. Its step by step guide is as follows:
- Slowly glide the floss holder towards the gingival margin and pull it firmly against one of the nearby tooth surfaces.
- Gradually slide the floss up and down to clean the tooth surface starting from the deepest part and pull against the other nearby tooth surface.
- Clean all the other adjacent tooth surfaces keeping the above-mentioned points in your mind.
Benefits of Dental Flossing
Digging out the remaining food particles or removing a piece of popcorn stuck between your teeth feels good.
But in addition to it, dental flossing has many other advantages as well. Let’s look at some of these advantages.
Getting Rid of Plaque
Plaque is a sticky film that coats our teeth. It is formed on and around your teeth when you eat sugary and starchy food.
What is more troubling is that when this plaque is left untreated it forms tartar which is accumulated on the gum line. It can later cause gum diseases.
Regular flossing can help you remove food particles around your teeth and gum line as well as the buildup of plaque.
Reducing The Risk of Cavities
Tooth decay can result in a cavity that causes a tiny hole or opening in the tooth.
The more plaque you have on the enamel of your tooth the higher the risk of developing a cavity.
Dental flossing between your teeth can help you get rid of hidden food particles and plaque buildup.
Helps Prevent Gum Diseases
One of the early signs of gum disease is inflammation around the gums. Your gums can also bleed while you brush your teeth or floss them.
Brushing your teeth twice a day and flossing them can reduce the risk of gum diseases. You should also get a professional cleaning done by your dentist at least twice a month.
When to Floss Your Teeth?
Some people have a routine of brushing their teeth first and then flossing. However, generally, it is recommended that you floss your teeth first and then brush your teeth.
Flossing your teeth helps you to remove and lift the food particles stuck between your teeth while brushing removes these particles from the mouth.
The dentist recommends that you should floss at least once per day and brush twice per day.
Why is Dental Flossing Important?
If you do not brush and floss your teeth regularly, then the food particles stuck in your mouth can cause bacteria to form cavities in your mouth.
These bacteria also lead to the formation of tartar which leads to the formation of plaque.
If plaque reaches the gum line, it can cause infection and inflammation and if not treated in time it can cause bleeding and sensitivity.
Brushing your teeth alone is not important as it does not remove the plaque and food particles stuck between your teeth.
If you brush and not floss, you leave two sides of your every tooth and almost half of the surface area untouched, therefore, dental flossing is a preventive measure.
How Often Should You Floss?
The dentist recommends that you should brush your teeth for at least 2 minutes and floss them once during the day.
Some people prefer to floss in the morning while others like to floss before going to bed.
Generally, it is recommended that you floss your teeth before brushing them.
This typically removes or loosens the food particles and plaque around your teeth while brushing helps to remove plaque and particles that you have removed from your teeth and gum line.
Conclusion
Flossing your teeth regularly is an important part of maintaining our dental and oral hygiene.
In addition to removing food particles, it also helps you prevent gum diseases, tooth decay, and plaque buildup.
An 18-inch floss also helps you remove decaying food particles between your teeth that may help to prevent bad breath.
Try to floss your teeth once during the day and brush twice a day for better oral and dental health.
