Dental Flossing For Oral Health
Dental flossing is recommended as part of your daily oral hygiene as it removes food particles and plaque from between and around your teeth ultimately reducing the chance of gum disease. If plaque is allowed to build up the bacteria can cause irritation and swelling.
Dental floss made from soft, thin nylon or plastic threads or there is also dental tape which is slightly thicker if the gaps around you teeth are larger. You should always follow the instructions for use or your dentist’s instructions as if used incorrectly you could damage your gums.
Using Dental Floss
A general guide for using dental floss is:
Take a piece of dental floss approximately 45cm in length and wind each end around a finger of each hand.- Continue to wind the floss around the fingers until the when pulled tightly the floss between each hand is around 3cm to 5cm long.
- With the floss pulled tightly slide it between the first two teeth and guide it up and down against the teeth below the gumline.
- To safely floss below the gumline use a circular motion with your fingers.
- Continue this process around the mouth moving methodically from one pair of teeth to the next.
- A clean piece of floss can be used for each gap by winding a little from one hand to the other.
It is possible that for the first few times of flossing your gums may bleed slightly. As the plaque is removed and your gums become healthier this will reduce but if bleeding continues regularly after a few days you should consult your dentist.
Some people find floss difficult to hold but you can buy floss holders from your local pharmacist. These floss holders are also known as “flossers” and “floss wands”.If you find gripping the floss difficult, you could try using a floss holder (also called floss wands) An alternative to flossing is interdental brushes which come in various sizes and are easy to use.