Dental Health: Step By Step Guide To Floss Properly

Flossing is an important oral hygiene habit. It cleans teeth interdentally as the food particles that are stuck in between teeth and cannot be removed with brushing can be easily cleared with the help of floss. Though flossing is not a common practice and has its own side effects, also if not done properly it can lead to damage to gums and teeth. In this article Dr. Gunita Singh who is a dentist explains importance of flossing and steps to a perfect floss.

Flossing importance: How to floss correctly

Here are the five steps to floss perfectly-

1. Take about 20 inches of dental floss

2. Wind both ends to the middle finger of both hands leaving only 1-2 inches for your teeth

3. Place it in between 2 teeth and gently glide up and down don't touch the gums

4. When you reach gums curve the floss to enter space between gums and teeth gently again without harming your gums

5. Repeat with every tooth and with each tooth use a new section of the floss

Many find flossing a very technical process and if not done properly it leads to gaps between teeth. More gaps between the teeth have been observed in those who floss regularly but not correctly as compared to those who don't.

Flossing is much better than using toothpicks to clean the gaps between the teeth. Toothpicks mean total damage to your teeth so flossing is an excellent option. Interdental brushes too are good to use. Another effective method is water flossing which is a new age solution to maintain oral hygiene. It is a non-touch method that can help clean debris and other food particles stuck in between the teeth. It is a blessing for those who have implants, crowns, bridges and artificial teeth. Consult your dentist to help you choose the best water floss according to your oral health.

Also read: Oral Care Tips You Should Follow

Medically it is proven that dental flossing helps the soft tissue in two ways:

1. It prevents gingivitis that is infection and inflammation of the gums results in bleeding

2. It prevents periodontitis that is an infection of bone and ligament around the teeth which can further lead to tooth loss

So if done properly and used proper technique flossing can be a blessing otherwise it can lead to the gaps between teeth and then food impaction in between teeth.

(Dr. Gunita Singh is a Dentist and Director at Dentem)

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