You must floss regularly and clean your teeth twice a day as part of good dental hygiene. Even with a rigorous dental care schedule, if you are not flossing with the correct method, your smile will stop looking healthy and clean.
If plaque accumulates on your teeth, it will erode the enamel, leading to cavities and other severe dental issues. Even though your dentist from Omaha dental practice can deal with any problems you might be experiencing, you should practice proper preventative dental hygiene at home to preserve oral health.
Flossing your teeth the proper way
- Get a good grip on your floss.
Holding your floss securely in place is the fundamental step in getting prepared to floss your teeth. First, secure an eighteen-inch floss strand. Enclose each hand’s middle finger with the tip of the floss.
Next, you should bend the string and hold it between your thumb and index finger on both hands. This section should include about an inch of string, which you will utilize to floss your teeth. You can floss with balance and mobility in this position, allowing you to modify it as needed. After utilizing the previous bit, you can also show a clean length of floss by sliding the string using the wrapped parts around the middle fingers.
- Move the floss with purpose.
You may now begin flossing in between your teeth as long as you keep a solid grip on the floss. Put the floss between two teeth gently. Next, apply pressure to one side of the tooth and gently rub it upwards and downwards.
Continue in the same position for a few more motions, then push the floss against the side of the adjacent tooth and massage it up and down. After that, you can take out the floss and go over each tooth separately.
- Compare alternative flossing tools.
Dentists agree that using this traditional flossing method and tool to remove plaque and other harmful residue from between your teeth is an effective way to clean your teeth. Some patients may consider using other flossing tools that provide them with a more specialized oral health experience.
Patients wearing braces or other fixed orthodontic equipment may find it helpful to use floss picks. These have a plastic handle with a floss string connected. To make sure teeth stay clean, they can slide between brackets and metal wires easily.
A water flosser is an optional replacement flossing equipment. With the help of this gadget, patients can control an irrigated water stream between their teeth to eliminate any residual plaque. This tool may be helpful for patients who have dental implants or fixtures in their mouths.
