American dentistry is some of the most advanced and accomplished in the world. So imagine our surprise when, last year, the American Dental Association conducted an oral health quiz and found 53 percent of Americans think you should floss only twice a week!
That wasn’t the worst finding, but we’ll discuss the rest another time. Let’s tackle the subject of flossing for today. As dentists, we are all about preventive medicine. That means brushing your teeth, eating healthily and flossing regularly. Not only do they keep your mouth healthy, it can have knock-on effects to your general health too.
As regular readers of our blog already know, brushing and flossing is the cornerstone of any dental hygiene regimen. Brushing twice a day and flossing once is the minimum required to retain a healthy mouth and avoid most of the common problems Americans suffer with their mouths.
How Often Should You Floss?
In an ideal world, we would all floss once a day before bed. That way, you remove the maximum amount of food from your mouth, giving the bacteria that lives there very little to feed on. That means less acid produced by that bacteria, less plaque which leads to less acid erosion, less tooth damage, less gum disease and less tooth decay.
Fewer cavities are what every dentist dreams of, even though it would mean less work for us to do!
How Should You Floss?
As dentists, we often offer advice and simple guidance on how best to look after your teeth. If you have questions, ask your dentist, or come to our dental clinic for some friendly, helpful advice.
In the meantime, here is a quick guide on how to floss. Use a roll of dental floss, or a flossing tool and insert the floss gently between your teeth. Move the floss up and down between the gum and teeth, ensuring you go down into the root of the tooth to clean the gums. Do this for all teeth, even if there are gaps, as food can hide everywhere.
If you’re new to dental flossing, you may see a little blood from the gums at first. Don’t worry, this is normal and should stop happening after a week or so. If it doesn’t, make an appointment to see your dentist just to make sure there’s nothing else going on.
Ask any dentist you care to, we will all say flossing once per day is essential in maintaining a healthy mouth. Call your dental surgery if you would like to know more about flossing and dental hygiene, they are there to help!
