The Reisman Dental Group hygiene team is a stickler for flossing! Flossing helps to keep your smile healthy and prevent those little problems from becoming big ones. When plaque is not removed with brushing AND flossing, the bacterias present are allowed to cause infection in the tissues (a.k.a. gingivitis and periodontal disease). Flossing will not cure the infection but it will put your mouth at lower risk for disease.
How to Floss:
- Use about 18″ of floss. We recommend a woven or ultra floss. This type of floss will “grab” more of the sticky plaque you are trying hard to remove.
- Wrap the floss around middle fingers. This will feel akward for first few times, but will soon become habit. This allows for more dexterity and keeping the tension on the floss, which reduces shredding.
- Gently work the floss between the teeth then gently follow the curve of the tooth.
- Be sure to clean under the gumline, but avoid snapping the floss into the gum. This can cause trauma and that is when flossing becomes painful.
Flossing the same time of day will make it easier in forming the habit. Flossing before brushing is usually recommended so that the fluoride in your toothpaste can remineralize surfaces you have cleaned between the teeth.
Happy Flossing!