Brushing and flossing the teeth is a simple yet effective means of eliminating most of the oral bacteria. Although most individuals brush their teeth twice every day, flossing is not given enough importance and is often ignored. This isn’t a healthy practice, and could significantly increase your chances of developing cavities. Hence, flossing is just as crucial as brushing the teeth, and here is the most effective way to do it.

How to floss right?

• You may choose a piece of floss that is multi-filament or mono-filament. If you choose a multi-filament floss, the individual strands may tear or shred when you floss. But, flossing would be easier when you choose a high-quality mono-filament floss as the floss doesn’t shred.
• It is best to choose an 18-inch floss. Wind both ends of the floss on your middle fingers, and leave about 2 inches in between to floss.
• Grip the floss firmly between the thumb and index finger, and work your way up and down the sides of the teeth. This helps to remove most of the deposited plaque and microbes between the teeth. Be wary of the gum line to avoid bruises or cuts to the delicate gum tissues.
• Curve the floss around each tooth and work around the base, which is the region of maximum microbe accumulation. Make sure you go slightly beneath the gum line.
• The removed plaque could be deposited on the floss. Make sure you rinse the worked section of the floss under running water or use a new section as you move from tooth to tooth.
• Continue to use the same back-and-forth motion to remove the floss from the teeth.

Make sure you work on each side of each tooth to eliminate the microbes and plaque deposits.

Reach out to Dentist in Tampa, FL on-call (813) 999-1092 or by scheduling an online consultation, and we’ll be happy to help you.