Are you flossing your teeth the right way?

How to properly floss your teeth?

Flossing teeth is a vital component of oral hygiene. Although many of us are aware of it, but most of us find reasons either not to do it or we don’t know how to do it properly. In order to make it easy for you, here are some steps which would help you remember how to care for your mouth, teeth and gums:

Are you flossing your teeth the right way?

If you floss properly, it would remove plaque and food particles in places where your toothbrush cannot easily reach, i.e. under the gum line and between your teeth. Plaque when builds-up can contribute to tooth decay and gum disease, so, daily flossing is extremely recommended.

Procedure for Flossing

• Start with about 18 inches of floss and wind most of the floss around each middle finger, leaving an inch or two of floss to work with.
• Grasp the string tightly between your thumb and forefinger, and use a rubbing motion to monitor it between teeth.
• Roll it along! As you move from one tooth to the next, unroll a fresh section of dental floss from the finger of one hand while rolling the used floss onto the finger of the other hand. Use your thumb as a guide.
• Smoothly curve the floss around the base of each tooth, make sure you go beneath the gum line in order to get rid of the plaque. Never lose it or force the floss in the gum line, as this may cut or bruise delicate gum tissues.
• Use fresh sections of floss as you move on. Repeat this method for the rest of your teeth. Don’t forget the back side of your last tooth.
• To take away the floss, use the same back-and-forth motion to bring the floss up and aside from the teeth.
• Once you’re finished, throw the floss away as a used piece of floss will not be effective anymore and could leave bacteria behind in your mouth.

Floss suitable for your teeth?

As long as you are cognizant of the fact of how to floss your teeth and use the right technique, the type of dental floss you use is a affair of personal taste. There are many types of dental floss to choose from, and you can even choose a variety of types to meet your needs and those of your family members.

Types of Floss

You can choose from these two kinds of floss:

• Nylon (or multifilament) floss
• PTFE (monofilament) floss

Nylon floss is available waxed as well as un-waxed, and has a variety of flavors. This type of floss is composed of many strands of nylon, it may sometimes tear or strip, especially between the teeth when in contact with tight points in your mouth.

While more expensive, single filament (PTFE) floss slides effortlessly between teeth, even those with tight spaces between teeth, and is virtually shred-resistant. When you apply it the right way, both types of floss are excellent at getting rid of plaque and debris.

Brushing and flossing are the keys to a healthy smile. Using the correct technique for both will help you remove the excess food particles and plaque buildup between your teeth and help improve your oral health.