When you hear the word floss, is a floss dance the only thing that comes to your mind? We hope not! 10/10 dentists vote flossing your teeth is as important as brushing your teeth. But you’re lazy, don’t know how to floss ,it’s time-consuming and a hassle. We get it!  But what if we told you, you’ll never have to visit your dentist that frequently if you start flossing and using the right technique to brush your teeth. Now that’s something that will interest you! 

Why floss my teeth when all is well!

It’s great if all is well and you don’t have any dental issues at the moment. But you might want to think about the future. According to a few studies, 45-50% of cavities form between the teeth. The reason is not flossing daily.

Brushing alone might not help to remove the plaque, food particles that are stuck, and debris as the bristles do not reach the intricate areas between the teeth how much ever we try. Dental floss is one such dental aid used to remove food and dental plaque between the teeth. This helps to clean the areas a toothbrush is unable to reach, prevents cavities.

What will happen if you don’t floss?

Plaque and bacteria mostly tend to lodge in these spaces. The bacteria ferment the sugars and carbohydrates present in the food and release acids causing tooth cavities. The debris may also irritate the gums eventually causing redness, pain and bleeding gums. These debris start eating away the tooth and begins to form small cavities. This may often be asymptomatic and hence ignored by many.

Cavities present between the teeth may sometimes not be visible to the naked eye and may go unnoticed. Once the bacteria causing tooth decay reaches the inner sensitive layer of the tooth, it may suddenly start hurting one day. The pain may be a dull one or very excruciating pain making you visit a dentist in an emergency.

So flossing daily and using the right technique to floss is very important to avoid cavities and prevent the risk of developing gum infections.

Wisdom comes with flossing not with wisdom teeth

You know you’re an adult when you realize the importance of flossing daily. Pedodontists recommend the use of a floss when two milk teeth close to each other start touching each other. That’s when 2-6 years of age is the right age to start flossing. That’s also the age when your milk teeth fall off and permanent teeth start to erupt in the mouth. Now you know, you have a a lot of backlog to complete if you haven’t started flossing yet. So yes, it’s time to get some wisdom after all!

Get started with buying a dental floss first

A good dental floss is the one that helps you get rid of, maximum amount of plaque between the teeth and helps you keep your gums healthy. It’s not only about the brand, but also the type of dental floss you can choose from. A floss thread, floss pick, electric flosser or a water jet flosser, you need to pick which suits you the best and is more convenient for you.

Most dentists recommend a waxed and wider width floss also called dental tape. You can keep experimenting with different flavored of flosses you like. Dental floss does have an expiry date. But if the floss is of the flavored type, it may lose its flavoring over a period of time.

If time is a constraint and technique is a challenge for you, A water jet floss is worth investing in!

Flossing for a successful root canal treatment 

I am sure you heard about root canal treatments being a pain in your gut or heard people saying,

“I got a root canal treatment done for a tooth and now it starts hurting again”.

“My dentist did not do a great job with my root canal treatment”,

Well, only if you flossed, it would save you from revisiting a dentist.

The cap or crown fixed after a root canal treatment needs some care and hygiene maintenance to increase the life span of the treatment done. Just like you clean your vehicles for smooth functioning, cleaning the areas below the caps helps improve oral hygiene and healthy functioning of the teeth. This also helps prevent the bacteria from reattacking the tooth from the space below the cap and prevents reinfection. It’s simple, floss your teeth to save your root canal treated teeth.

Beware of toothpicks, reach for flosspicks

You must have experienced food sticking between your teeth when you eat anything and suddenly you reach out for a toothpick. You think it’s not a big deal! But *Toothpicks might actually harm your teeth*. but this doesn’t always happen when you’re at the comfort of your home. So what should you do? Reaching out to for a flosspick is anytime better than a toothpick.

Flossing daily would have never put you in a situation like this. However, if you did, it might be an indication of cavities between two teeth. Still, under the impression of all is well? No right ! In that case you might want to teleconsult with your dentist and check. If you do have cavities, getting a teeth cleaning and fillings done are a must. But that’s not it! Daily flossing is again important for you to not land in this situation again.

The bottom Line

Floss your teeth just the ones you want to keep! Using the right technique of flossing is the key to having good dental health. Smart prevention starts with flossing, so JUST FLOSS IT.

Highlights

• Flossing is important even if all is well.
• Failing to floss can cause cavities to begin between the teeth.
• Floss your teeth if you want to visit your dentist less frequently.
• It is important to maintain oral hygiene with flossing especially when you already have caps and crowns in your mouth.