Think flossing isn’t important enough to do it every day? You are not the only one!
It is estimated that around 50% of the total populations of the USA, Australia and also the UK do not floss every day.
Along with twice daily brushing and the use of a tongue scraper, Flossing should be part of your everyday oral healthcare routine.
Whilst it can seem like a bit of a chore, if you don’t floss, (or indeed brush your teeth or use a tongue scraper) on a regular basis, then you put yourself at risk to a wide range of ailments.
Some of these may well surprise you as they include:
– Gum Disease
– Tooth Loss
– Halitosis
– Diabetes
– Heart disease
– Ulcers
– Cancer
– Kidney Disease
– Pneumonia
– Pregnancy Complication
The good news however is that the old saying healthy mouth, healthy body still rings true today. Regular flossing, as well as twice daily brushing and the use of a tongue scraper, significantly reduces your chances of suffering from these conditions.
5 Tips For Flossing
If you do not floss regularly then the hardest thing is incorporating it into a daily routine. However if you stick with it, pretty soon it will become second nature.
If you are not sure the best way to floss it is a good idea to make an appointment with Arthur, our Dental Hygienist. As he teaches best practices for flossing as part of his role.
However here are a few tips worth following:
Floss once a day — It is a good idea to floss either directly after your last meal, or just before going to bed. To get in to a routine try to consistently do it at the same time everyday.
Take your time — Flossing is not a race! The more thorough you are the better. So take your time to give each tooth a really good clean.
Use a lot of floss — Don’t be afraid to use as much as you need to clean both sides of every tooth. Ideally you should use a fresh piece for each tooth.
Choose the best floss for you — There are a wide range of floss types available. Including waxed and unwaxed, ribbon and thread or flavoured and unflavoured. Try all different varieties until you find one that works for you.
How To Floss
Again it is worth making an appointment with Arthur for a proper demonstration, as it is different for each person.
However as a general rule you should:
1. Wind the floss around the middle fingers then pull it taut. Let your index fingers guide it around each tooth.
2. Always hold the floss so that a short bit of it is ready to work use.
3. Gently guide the floss between two teeth. Don’t be too forceful as it could cut your gums.
4. Hold the floss around the front and back of one tooth. Try and make it in to a ‘C’ shape if you can. This will wrap the floss around the side edge of that tooth.
5. Gently move the floss toward the base of the tooth. The aim is to get it in to the space between the tooth and gum.
6. Move the floss up and down with a light but firm pressure. You want to skim the plaque off that area. So do not press too hard, otherwise you could injure your gum.
7. Repeat for all sides of the tooth, including the outermost side of the last tooth. Advance the floss to a clean segment for each tooth edge.
Dental Hygienists
At Sunshine Coast Smile Centre we employ two professional dental hygienists, who together have over 30 combined years of experience.
They both provide a very detailed clean which you simply can’t get from normal flossing.
Whilst we encourage our patients to floss daily, we also recommend they have their teeth professionally cleaned by our hygienists every 6 months.
This helps them achieve and also maintain optimum oral health.
Want To Make An Appointment?
For more information about flossing or to make an appointment with our dental hygienists please contact Jess on 07 5443 2800.
If you are reading this outside of our work hours of 8.30am to 5pm please fill out this Request An Appointment form.
We will get back to you first thing the next morning.