If you’re struggling with your dental hygiene routine, read our top flossing tips.
We’ll take you through how to floss successfully and also cover some of the hurdles you may encounter — such as bleeding gums after you floss — and what you should do if this happens.
Why it’s good to floss
Flossing should become part of your daily routine because it gets rid of the plaque and food debris that you can’t reach with a toothbrush alone. This is important because plaque can lead to tooth decay and gum disease.
Floss once a day to help keep your teeth clean and your breath fresh.
Flossing tips and tricks for beginners
It’s never too late to start flossing. Here’s how to do it:
1. Take a length of floss of around 40cm and wind it around each of your middle fingers, leaving around 3cm to work with.
2. Hold the floss nice and tight between your thumbs and index fingers and work it between your teeth using a gentle sliding and up-and-down motion.
3. Curve the floss around the base of each tooth, cleaning below the gumline.
4. Switch to a clean section as you go from tooth to tooth.
5. Remember to go gently to avoid irritating your teeth and gums.
What about water flossing?
Water flossing is an alternative to using traditional floss.
A water flosser is a device you hold in your hand which sprays jets of water into your mouth. This helps remove plaque and food debris stuck between your teeth.
If you struggle to get the hang of conventional flossing, you might find that a water flosser works better for you.
Water flossers are also good for people with dental work like bridges and braces, which can make conventional flossing challenging.
Issues you may encounter when flossing
Some people experience bleeding gums after flossing. In fact, it’s quite common if you’re new to flossing. If the bleeding stops quickly, it’s usually nothing to worry about, and you should continue to floss daily.
If you’ve been flossing for a while and you notice bleeding gums, it could be a sign of gum disease. Make an appointment to see your dentist so they can check your gums out and start treatment if necessary.
You may also experience sore or irritated gums after flossing. This is often because of poor flossing technique. Again, an appointment with your dentist is the best course of action so they can assess your gums and give you teeth flossing tips.
What else do I need to know about flossing?
Your dentist can advise you about good flossing techniques when you go for your next checkup and answer any questions you have about keeping your teeth and gums fresh and healthy.
Be sure to continue to brush your teeth twice a day and use mouthwash in addition to your daily flossing routine.
Keeping that smile healthy!
Whether you’d like advice on flossing, are due a checkup or have any other dental issues, the team at Opal Dental are here to help you.
We love nothing more than seeing smiles on our patients’ faces. So why not make that appointment to come and see us?
We’ll show you everything you need to know about keeping that smile fresh, clean and healthy!
