Proper Flossing Technique: Gently Saw, Don’t Snap!

Flossing removes food particles that cause plaque build up and bacterial growth. While brushing twice a day is necessary and removes most of the plaque on the surface of your teeth, your oral hygiene routine is not complete without flossing! Just as important as flossing is making sure you’re doing it right. Here are some tips to achieve proper flossing technique:

• It’s okay, and important to go beneath your gum line. If it’s been awhile since you’ve flossed it might cause a little bleeding, but less and less the more regularly you do it.

• Allow yourself enough floss to use a new, clean section for each tooth. This is usually somewhere around 18 inches. Wrap the excess around both of your middle fingers, winding and unwinding as you go.

• Wrap the floss around the curve of your tooth. Follow your tooth in a “C” shape, up and down. This motion breaks up plaque and food particles that become lodged between your teeth.

• Don’t jerk the floss or push it up and down with great force. You can injure or irritate your gums by flossing too roughly.

• Your very back teeth can still benefit from flossing. Although you’re not flossing between two teeth, you can still follow the curve of your back tooth down to the gumline with the floss.

• Which do you do first– floss or brush? So long as you’re doing both, there’s no real right or wrong. Some dentists recommend brushing after to brush off any excess debris you’ve loosened through flossing. If you prefer to brush first you can just rinse after flossing.

Seeing a dentist regularly is just as necessary as brushing and flossing. Call Dr. Arzegar of the Lifetime Smiles today and schedule an appointment!