How to Floss your Teeth

No matter how well you brush your teeth, there are areas of tooth surface you simply can not reach no matter how hard you try. You can however floss your teeth and gums. Flossing your teeth enables you to reach these unreachable areas of your teeth and gums and gives you added protection against tooth decay and gum disease.

If you do not floss your teeth when you brush you are missing 1/3 of your teeth surface!

Bacterial plaque develops on the surface of your teeth every time you eat. If you fail to brush your teeth and floss your teeth adequately, this bacterial plaque will harden into what we call tartar which is much more difficult to remove, even by flossing between your teeth and gums.

Tartar is formed within 24-36 hours of the formation of plaque and is absorbing of Calcium. This is why it is so essential to floss your teeth every day. By flossing your teeth daily, you ensure that plague is removed from the surface of your teeth before it has a chance to form tartar. Plague and tartar are the cause of tooth decay as well as gum disease, so floss your teeth daily and brush after every meal. For more information on brushing your teeth, read our informative page on “Brushing your Teeth Correctly”.

Flossing teeth is not the most pleasant thing to do. Flossing teeth can be a little boring actually. It is possible however, to floss your teeth while doing something else. You can floss your teeth while watching TV or listening to your favorite music for example.

Flossing Tips

Tips on how to Floss your Teeth Correctly

Take a long piece of dental floss, about the length of your arm, and wrap it around your index and middle fingers, leaving a very small portion, about two inches, between them.
Now, slide this small piece of dental floss between your teeth, one at a time, wrapping it in a C-shape around the neck of the tooth, and gently pass it under the gum line. This is flossing your teeth… and you thought tooth flossing was difficult…
Don’t forget to floss all the surfaces of each tooth and the back of the last molars. The back of the last molars is a spot generally missed when flossing teeth.

Unwrap the dental floss from your middle finger, and wrap it from your index finger, to go into each new section of the dental floss. Follow this procedure at every tooth when flossing.
It is best to floss your teeth before brushing.

When flossing your teeth for the first time, it is quite common for your gums to bleed. This is actually quite normal when getting used to flossing your teeth so you have no need to worry. The bleeding will stop after you have flossed your teeth and gums a few more times. You will know, once the bleeding has stopped, that by flossing your teeth, your oral hygiene has improved.
Be careful not to pull too hard if the dental floss catches the edge of an old filling or veneer.
Experiment with different types of dental floss. Flossing your teeth is a personal experience and there are a number of products available so find one you like.

Flossing your teeth once a day and brushing after every meal, and especially before going to sleep at night, is what we all need to do to have and maintain a healthy smile and good oral hygiene.