Your Delta dentist will always tell you that brushing and flossing are the most important components of any good dental hygiene routine. Unfortunately, some people aren't familiar with effective flossing techniques, while others choose to exclude flossing from their routines entirely.
Why Flossing is Important
Food particles and oral plaque bacteria can settle into the spaces between teeth and at the gumline that the bristles of a toothbrush don't do a very good job at scrubbing. Flossing can easily clean these spaces, which helps prevent acid-producing bacteria from damaging your dental enamel and causing cavities.
Flossing also helps prevent gum disease, thereby keeping gum inflammation in check. Gum inflammation contributes to the body's overall inflammatory response, aggravating other inflammatory conditions. Preventing and reversing gum disease by flossing properly can help improve overall health and reduce your risk for diabetes, cardiovascular conditions and respiratory conditions.
How Often Should You Floss?
Any Delta dentist will recommend that you should be flossing at least once a day. This recommendation is based off the fact that plaque takes just 24 hours to turn into tartar, a hardened, sticky form of plaque that can only be removed with a dental cleaning.
Whether you floss in the morning or evening is less important than whether you floss regularly. Pick the time you have more motivation to floss every day, and stick to it.
How Do You Floss Effectively?
The first step towards flossing effectively is to choose a flossing product you will actually use and that you can use comfortably. Try different types of floss, such as thick floss, thin floss, waxed, unwaxed, or flavoured floss. Try out other flossing methods too, such as using a disposable flossing stick.
Your main goal when flossing should be to floss both sides of each tooth, completely from top to base, going up and down at least 3 times on each side. Take your time. Rushing while you floss will result in an improper cleaning and might cause you to "snap" the floss down to your gumline, causing gum tenderness.
While taking up flossing is very important for your oral health, don't forget that it is also important to visit your Delta dentist on a regular basis. It is impossible to achieve the thoroughness of a professional dental cleaning at home.
At our Delta dental clinic, SeRena Dental Centre offers a variety of dentistry services that can help you achieve and maintain good oral health. On top of regular dental cleanings and oral examinations, we can correct problems with teeth alignment and treat periodontal disease.
Schedule an appointment for a cleaning with a Delta dentist at SeRena Dental Centre today. You can trust that your oral health is in good hands and get some more expert advice on how to care for your teeth and gums.