Flossing Basics You Need to Know From Our Grand Rapids Dentist Office

In our Grand Rapids dentist office, we practice preventative care to help our patients feel their best by having healthy teeth and gums. It is important to take care of one's mouth with a good oral hygiene routine that involves brushing and flossing every day. Most people brush a couple of times a day, where flossing, on the other hand, is typically reserved for the most committed. While we would like for all of our patients to floss, we understand that a lot of people simply do not enjoy it. With this in mind, it is important to make sure that when you do floss, you are flossing correctly. Regular flossing may sound simple, but it is common for people to floss incorrectly and fail to get the benefits.

Here is what you need to know:

Buy the right floss

Anyone can purchase floss of various widths from a variety of stores. For someone with space between his or her teeth, however small, patients should purchase a thicker floss where those that have perfectly straight teeth will be fine using a thinner version.

Use the right amount

Do not reuse the same strand of floss. Each time someone flosses his or her teeth, it is important to use a fresh piece of floss and reach between each tooth.

Slide it in gently

It is easier to irritate the gums and cause minor bleeding with flossing than some people realize. We can show patients how to gently slide the floss between the teeth then move it back and forth. The gentle touch will help the floss to ease into these tight spaces without hurting the gums.

Don’t skip your gums

Flossing can help to remove the plaque from between teeth and at the base of your gums. Gently maneuver the floss between the teeth and gums to remove any trapped food particles. Gentle but effective flossing is the most important step in the process and essential for preventing gum disease.

Rinse out your mouth

Flossing will remove all or most of the plaque and trapped food between the teeth. It has to go somewhere, so make sure to rinse the mouth afterward. We also recommend using an antiseptic mouthwash to kill any lingering bacteria.

In our Grand Rapids dentist office, we start teaching children about the importance of flossing from a young age and remind the adults that visit us to do the same. While this may seem like a common sense thing to do, those that don't floss can suffer a variety of health consequences. The least of which is severe bad breath. People that do not floss can start to have terrible breath as plaque and food remain in the mouth for a prolonged period of time, creating a foul smell. On a more serious note, failing to floss can lead to gum disease, which is a risky condition that causes bone and tooth loss. With this in mind, take a few minutes every day to floss your teeth the right way.