Dental Floss for Oral Hygiene
The use of dental floss is an important step for good oral hygiene. Research indicates that only 10-40% of people who brush their teeth also floss on a regular basis. That may be due to difficulty using the material or discomfort. The advice here should help with those things.
The thickness of the filament is more important than you might think. A thicker filament is hard to get between tightly spaced teeth. A thinner filament can break too easily.
Dental Flossing Techniques
The best suggestion is to keep two thicknesses on hand. You can use the thicker filaments whenever possible to reduce frustration over broken strands, but you will have the thinner ones for areas where the thicker pieces just won’t fit.
One of the most common complaints people express is discomfort. In most cases, the discomfort is due to incorrect form.
Dental Flossing Technique
If you normally start from the bottom of your tooth and work your way up, you are using the wrong form. Slide the filament gently up the side of a tooth to just under the gum line. Then slide it back down. Since you are not using any force on the upwards movement, you will not injure your gums.
Here’s another common complaint about dental flossing. “It’s impossible to fit both of my hands in my mouth at the same time.”
The correct method would have you wrapping the floss around your index fingers so that you can push it up between the back teeth and work it back down. If that technique is still too difficult, there are a number of tools to help you out.
The floss-threader is one of the inexpensive tools you will find in drugstores and dentist’s offices. Instead of using your fingers to get into the hard to reach areas, you use the threaders. They are loops composed of stiff fibers. You thread the floss through the loop of one or two and then proceed as normal.
F and Y shaped wands made specifically for dental flossing are available, too. Some models include a self-contained roll of floss. They are as easy to use as a toothbrush. A few models include swiveling disposable heads to make the process even easier.
Hopefully, the advice here will encourage you to use dental floss more often. The American Dental Association recommends once a day. Try some of the new tools if you have been unhappy with regular flossing. It really will make a difference in your smile.
{ 0 comments… add one now }