How Important Is Flossing?

Do you know how important is Flossing? Flossing is primary to maintain a healthy set of teeth.  Daily flossing is effective towards the removal of plaque from gums. Flossing aids in better cleaning of teeth by reaching the areas where a toothbrush cannot reach.  Plaque build-up is detrimental to the well being of the teeth. Hence, daily flossing is necessary.

BENEFITS OF FLOSSING

• The first stage of gum disease is called gingivitis. Inter-dental cleaning with daily flossing can help to fix gum disease.  Flossing helps to keep your gums healthy.
• Flossing also helps those who are facing the issue of bleeding gums. Inter-dental flossing helps to keep your teeth healthy and thereby reduce bleeding of gums.
• Flossing your teeth daily goes a long way in boosting your confidence. Flossing helps to effectively cure chronic bad breath.  Flossing the right way helps to get rid of tiny food morsels stuck to the teeth and the gums.  These are the tricky place where toothbrushes cannot reach.
• Flossing helps to examine the overall dental health and examine any redness or swelling of mouth, tongue or gums.
• When plaque accumulates for over a long period of time, it leads to the formation of a hard substance called tartar. Tartar can only be removed by a dentist. Hence, flossing is a must to prevent this dental issue.
• Flossing daily can simply give you a better smile by whitening your teeth.

Many cannot opt for standard floss and as such need specialized products to clean their teeth. If you have the following dental conditions, you can consider specialized flossing options. For the ones with braces:  If you wear dentures or braces, it does not mean you cannot floss your teeth.  You can try using a specialized floss with a stiff end.

FLOSSING FOR CHILDREN

It is vital to teach your children the importance of flossing at a very young age.  You can start to teach your little ones about flossing at about 5 years of age.  Though children may initially complain that flossing is difficult or it hurts, it is necessary for them to floss. Learning and sticking to the technique of flossing from a young age can go a long way in ensuring healthy set of teeth.

5 STEPS TO FLOSS EFFECTIVELY

• Break off 15 inches of floss and wrap it around your middle fingers. Wind the remaining floss around the finger of the opposite hand. Take the floss from the other hand as it becomes dirty.

• Hold the floss tightly between your forefingers and thumb.

• Slide the floss between your teeth using a gentle motion.

• As the floss reaches the line of the gum, twist it into a C shape . Slide the floss gently between the tooth and the gums.

• 1. Slide the floss gently between the sideways of the tooth. Slide the floss in gentle upward and downward motion.

  Once you are finished flossing, throw the floss away as it has bacteria stuck to it and is no longer effective.