Flossing is an important part of oral hygiene. Since a tooth has five surfaces, only three of them can be cleaned without flossing. The front and back surface of adjacent teeth can't be brushed, leaving behind a lot of plaque, and cavities tend to occur from here. Therefore, in addition to brushing our teeth carefully, we should also insist on flossing at least once a day, which helps to prevent gum disease and dental caries.
Does flossing enlarge the space between teeth? This is actually a common mistake. Sometimes we feel that the space between the teeth becomes larger after flossing, that’s because the gap between the teeth already exists between flossing. The existing gap is caused by gingival atrophy, which is the inevitable result of periodontal disease not being treated in time. It has nothing to do with flossing.
The most important thing about flossing is consistency. You can floss at any spare time of the day, as long as you carefully clean the front and back surface of adjacent teeth that can't be cleaned with a toothbrush. In general, flossing after dinner or before bed is ideal. But if you're feeling too tired for the day, it's ok to floss the next morning or after lunch.
It is difficult to clean teeth when we wear braces, so choosing the right dental floss is extremely important to prevent tooth decay formation and tooth demineralization. In addition, be sure to brush all surfaces immediately. Since it is difficult to clean the space between teeth, dental floss induction devices should be used to thoroughly clean the area around the braces. Finally, don't forget to visit your dentist for check-ups and cleaning at least every six months.
Finally, let's learn how to floss properly:
1. Take dental floss 15 centimeters to 50 centimeters long, and wrap the ends of the floss around the middle finger of both hands (one of the middle fingers should be wound several times), leaving 2 centimeters to 5 centimeters of dental floss between the two fingers.
2. Use the thumb and forefinger to tighten the line, and then gently dental floss into the gap between the teeth, but be careful not to let dental floss scrape the gums.
3. Draw the floss into a c-shape and gently move it up and down, cleaning every tooth and the area below the gums. One dental floss can only be used to clean one tooth.