The Benefits of Flossing and How to Make It a Habit

Keeping good oral health is extremely important to keep your teeth, tongue, gums, etc., in good condition. This can be achieved by brushing your teeth properly to eliminate bacteria and maintain fresh breath.

Proper tooth brushing is not limited to brushing as it is often believed because there is a complement that helps to remove tartar and some food debris that brushing cannot achieve.

Dental floss removes tartar between the gums and teeth much better than a toothbrush because, thanks to its material, it can quickly enter between the gaps of the teeth.
The correct use of dental floss is very important, both to prevent diseases and to complete a good tooth brushing. That is why it is necessary to know how this tool works and the benefits of flossing.

What is Flossing?

Dental floss combines thin strands of plastic, nylon, or silk strands designed to remove plaque and small pieces of food or tartar between two teeth.

Dental floss is gently inserted between the teeth and rubbed between the edges, emphasizing the areas near the gums. Although this may sound painful, it is not because the material floss is made of is perfect for avoiding any type of injury.

To take advantage of the benefits of flossing, it is important to know how to use it. Therefore, here is a guide on how to use it correctly:

• First, split a piece of dental floss about 30 inches long and wrap it around the middle finger at one end. The rest of the floss should be wrapped around the same finger of the opposite hand. This finger will be the one that will collect all the dirty floss. The floss should be held firmly with the thumbs and index fingers.
• After adjusting the dental floss in the fingers, it should be passed delicately between the teeth with gentle movements.
• When the floss reaches the gum line, it should be bent into a C shape against the tooth. Carefully slide it through the space between the gum and the tooth.
• Hold the floss firmly against the tooth, where you should gently rub the side of the tooth and remove the floss from the gum with upward and downward movements, making a saw-like motion.
• This process is repeated with the rest of the teeth. Remembering any space at the end of the last tooth is very important.
• To finish this process, rinse with water to remove any debris. In the best case, use mouthwash to eliminate these remains and even completely eliminate the bacteria stored in these spaces.

Benefits of Flossing

Some of the benefits of flossing have already been mentioned above. However, it is necessary to touch on them further.

The first of the benefits of flossing is that it prevents diseases that can occur between the gums. The accumulation of bacteria between the gums causes swelling, leading to sensitivity. If this disease remains, it is very likely to reach even the bone that holds the tooth, causing them to eventually move, fall out, and may even require extraction.

Another of the benefits of flossing is the ease with which it removes tartar and food debris because if this debris is left behind, it is very likely that you will have bad breath even after brushing your teeth.

In general, part of the benefits of flossing is the fact that it guarantees oral health.

How to Make Flossing a Habit

To enjoy the benefits of flossing, knowing how to implement it is necessary. At first, this may seem a little uncomfortable, but this is normal, as it is very common to have the fear that flossing will hurt the gums. However, as mentioned, flossing cannot produce any type of injury between the gums or teeth.

The right timing must be taken into account to make flossing a habit. One recommendation that can help achieve this is to first go to a dentist for a dental check-up.

The dental checkup allows for a complete evaluation of the state of health of the mouth; once the data is analyzed, the dentist can recommend the type of floss that best suits the patient’s needs so that they can enjoy all the benefits of flossing.

Once it has become a habit, it is everyone’s responsibility to do it daily, especially at night, to ensure that bacteria do not accumulate while sleeping.

Start Flossing

The benefits of flossing guarantee good dental health, thus avoiding future diseases such as swollen gums. Therefore, the idea that dental floss is unnecessary or a tool that hurts the gums should be abandoned because these limitations cause the patient to have an infection or need an extraction over time.

To ensure that dental floss is being used properly and that all the benefits of flossing are being obtained, it is necessary to visit the dentist for a check-up on the state of health of the mouth. It goes without saying that you should visit the dentist at least once a year so that you can prevent future even more severe diseases such as cavities.
At Pacific Implant, we offer a dental service with the guarantee that only a dentist in Tijuana can offer. Thanks to our highly trained team, it is possible to obtain safe and personalized results; since we are supported by the latest in dental technology, we can perform this and any other type of procedure without any problem.