The Importance of Flossing

Would you say that you have established a good flossing habit? If you floss daily or even regularly, you deserve an award! According to a recent dental study, if you floss regularly, you’re among a minority of Americans taking proper care of their teeth. Often times overlooked, flossing is vitally important to maintain proper oral health. Why? Flossing gets at the smallest, hardest-to-reach crevices in your mouth. The places that floss reaches are the places where cavities develop the most.

Flossing is crucial to preventing gum disease, dental decay and tooth loss. Flossing regularly could be the one thing that prevents you from needing dental surgery down the road. Flossing does take some effort, but with practice it does get easier. Here are a few flossing tips to make sure you get the most out of your flossing routine:

• Find a type of floss that you like. You can use whatever works. It can be traditional ribbon floss, one of those Y-shaped floss holders, really any type of floss. There are a handful of options out there, so find one that you are comfortable using and start flossing! If you haven’t found a type of floss that you like, ask your dentist or hygienist to recommend floss that would work best for your mouth and teeth.
• Gently work the floss between your teeth in a sort of sawing motion. Once you’re in, try pulling the floss sideways and scrape off the insides of your teeth in an up-and-down motion.
• Be sure to floss under the gum line around the tooth if possible and don’t forget the back part of your very last molar. Just because it isn’t a tight crack between teeth doesn’t mean that food and gunk won’t build up back there.

The best advice about flossing is simply to do it; you’ll be amazed at the difference it will make in your dental health.