What is the Right Way to Floss?
While most instructions will tell you to start with 18 inches of dental floss, let’s face it, you aren’t going to take a ruler out and measure 18 inches of dental floss. Instead, use your own judgment. Wind most of the dental floss around one middle finger. Wind the other end of the dental floss around the middle finger of the other hand. Use the thumbs and forefingers to hold the dental floss firmly so that there is a space of an inch or so in between. Carefully move the dental floss back and forth between your teeth. Make sure to curve the floss around each tooth at the gum line to remove plaque buildup. Hold the floss tightly so that you can move it up and down between your teeth. While most of you might get discouraged because you can’t reach to the back of your mouth where the gum meets the last tooth, don’t be. This is because that is where food particles hide before making their way into the “pocket” behind your tooth which will cause decay and bacteria, resulting in bad breath.
Regular and proper flossing removes plaque and food particles from places where a toothbrush can’t quite reach — under your gum line and between your teeth. Plaque build-up can lead to tooth decay and gum disease, so daily flossing is recommended. Here are some tips for proper flossing: Starting with about 18 inches of floss, wind most of the floss around each middle finger, leaving an inch or two of floss to work with Holding the floss tightly between your thumbs and index fingers, slide the floss gently up-and-down between your teeth Gently curve the floss around the base of each tooth, making sure you go beneath the gum line. Never snap or force the floss, as this may cut or bruise delicate gum tissue Unwind the floss as you move from tooth to tooth so can clean between each tooth with clean floss.
Flossing Technique First, take a piece of floss about 20-24+ inches in length. Wind the floss around your 2 middle fingers and grasp 1/2 inch of floss tightly between your thumbs and forefingers. Insert the floss between your teeth carefully. Hold the floss taught and curve it around one of the teeth. Scrape the floss up and down against one tooth and then the other (not in a sawing motion). The main purpose is to remove the film of plaque on your teeth, not just food particles! Using a new part of the floss, continue flossing, even tooth surfaces which have no tooth next to them. Rinse thoroughly to remove any loosened particles.
Proper flossing removes plaque and food particles in places where a toothbrush cannot easily reach – under the gumline and between your teeth. Because plaque build-up can lead to tooth decay and gum disease, daily flossing is highly recommended. To receive maximum benefits from flossing, use the following technique: Starting with about 18 inches of floss, wind most of the floss around each middle finger, leaving an inch or two of floss to work with Holding the floss tautly between your thumbs and index fingers, slide it gently past the tight contact point between the teeth Gently curve the floss around the base of each tooth, making sure you go beneath the gumline. Never snap or force the floss, as this may cut or bruise delicate gum tissue Use clean sections of floss as you move from tooth to tooth – don’t forget the back of your last tooth To remove the floss, use the same back-and-forth motion to bring the floss up and away from the teeth What Type of Floss Should I Use? There are t
