According to a study by Healthy People, as much as 50 percent of the population admits to not flossing daily. Here at Seminole Family Dentistry, we just can’t let that slide. Flossing is a necessary part of maintaining your dental health, so it is important to do it daily, and to do it correctly. Your dental health very likely could depend on it. We go over just how to floss your teeth here.
Don’t Saw
The biggest mistake people can make when flossing is to “saw” the floss back and forth into their gums to clean their teeth. Doing this often enough can actually create a groove in your tooth, or cause damage to your gums.
Gums to Edge of Crown
The proper way to floss one’s teeth is to gently insert the floss to the base of the gum, and lightly bring it up to the edge of the tooth. Afterwards, use a different part of floss for the next tooth (the floss accumulates plaque with each use).
Choosing Floss
There are all kinds of floss: ribbon, string, wax, harps, picks, etc. What works best is a matter of preference. Wax floss is easier to get in your teeth, while unwaxed floss squeaks when your teeth are clean. Ribbon has more surface area than string, which can make it harder to floss, but string is often thin enough to cut your fingers if you’re not careful. Pick whatever type works best for your needs, just make sure you use it correctly!
If you follow these simple tips, you can rest easy that you are taking important steps to preserve your dental health. Don’t become just another statistic of gum disease. Speaking of statistics, here are some interesting floss statistics:
- According to a survey, 73 percent of people would rather go grocery shopping than to floss their teeth.
- About 40 percent of people who floss daily do so incorrectly.
- The age group most likely to floss is between 31 and 60 years old.
- Women floss more regularly than men.
We hope you enjoyed our quick guide on how to floss correctly. There are all kinds of things you can do to protect your dental health, but nothing will be as effective as brushing and flossing correctly on a daily basis. When you or a family member has dental problems that only a dentist can treat, trust Seminole Family Dentistry for all your Seminole family dental care needs. If you have any questions about our practice, please do not hesitate to give us a call today. One of our friendly and knowledgeable representatives will be happy to provide any answers that you may need.