Flossing is a great way to remove food particles from between your teeth, to keep your gums healthy and breath nice and fresh! and pretty much every visit to your dentist will include a reminder to incorporate this into your daily brushing routine.
There is no denying the benefits of flossing; this helps you remove unwanted food from your teeth, and keeps your gums clean and healthy.
What you may not know, however, is that flossing too often can cause damage to your gums or even cause bleeding.
What Is Flossing?
In addition to a once famous but very annoying TikTok routine, flossing in an oral sense has a much longer history.
Tooth flossing has been around for thousands of years, but it wasn’t until the early 1900s that dentists first began recommending it as an effective method of removing food debris and plaque from between your teeth.
It wasn’t until after World War II that toothbrushes became more popular than flosses, and they have since become the standard tool we use to brush our teeth.
Many dentists, however, still recommend flossing alongside twice-daily brushing to keep teeth in tip-top condition.
How Does Flossing Work?
Flossing works by gently scraping away any bacteria and food particles that are stuck on your teeth.
This process is done using a piece of nylon thread that may be pulled from a reel, or attached to a small plastic head with a handle.
When you begin flossing, place the floss between your teeth and slowly pull it back and forth while simultaneously rotating your mouth so that you can reach all areas of your teeth.
As you do this, you should feel the floss moving against your teeth, which will help loosen any stubborn food particles that might be stuck there.
Once you’ve finished flossing, rinse your mouth thoroughly with water and then spit out the excess.
What Are The Advantages Of Flossing?
There is a reason that dentists so often endorse flossing, and there are plenty of advantages to the practice, including the removal of food debris and bacteria.
If you don’t regularly floss, you risk leaving these harmful substances behind, leading to decay and gum disease.
Additionally, if you don’t remove these particles, they can collect under your gums and form tartar, leading to periodontal issues.
Preventing Gum Disease
If you don’t floss, you run the risk of developing gum disease, which can lead to other serious health problems like heart disease and diabetes.
Gum disease is caused by bacterial build-up, and it usually starts with a bad case of halitosis (bad breath).
Halitosis is most commonly caused by poor dental hygiene practices, such as neglecting to brush properly or not flossing enough.
Although gum disease is treatable, it can take some time before symptoms appear, and it can sometimes go undetected until it becomes severe.
Protecting Your Gums
If you don’t brush and floss your teeth, you risk gum recession, which occurs when the gum tissue recedes into the space where the tooth used to sit.
This can cause bleeding and pain, and over time, it can lead to tooth loss.
Reducing Bad Breath
When you floss, you remove food debris that can cause bad breath, which is one of the most common reasons people seek dental care.
In fact, according to the American Dental Association, about 40 percent of Americans suffer from chronic halitosis.
Improving Oral Hygiene Habits
The best way to ensure that your teeth stay healthy is to make sure that you maintain good oral hygiene habits.
However, many people find it difficult to stick to a daily regimen of brushing and flossing because it takes too much time and effort.
By practicing flossing, you can reduce the amount of time you spend in the bathroom each day, and you can avoid having to deal with bad breath.
How Often Should I Floss?
In an ideal world, flossing should be part of your routine every day when caring for your teeth.
It is important to use a new strand of floss every time you brush your teeth, or you risk reintroducing old bacteria back into your mouth, where they can cause infection and illness.
It is important not to floss too much, however; according to experts, the bacteria that causes plaque takes between four and twelve hours to fully develop, and so flossing more than once a day has few benefits.
If you have something stuck between your teeth, then pulling out the dental floss is fine, but otherwise, once a day should be plenty to keep your mouth healthy.
Can I Floss Too Much?
While flossing regularly is important, it is also possible to overdo it. There have been reports of people who floss excessively, causing them to develop painful sores around their mouths.
These sores are known as “floss blisters,” and they occur when the skin gets irritated by the friction created by excessive flossing.
Common Flossing Mistakes
There are a few mistakes that many people tend to make when flossing their teeth, and these include:
Using Too Much Pressure
It is easy to get carried away when flossing, especially if you are trying to clean up after dinner.
When using dental floss, try to apply just enough pressure to gently pull apart any food particles that may be caught between your teeth.
If you feel like you need to exert more force, then you may be applying too much pressure.
Not Using Enough Water
Flossing requires water to help loosen food particles that may be trapped between your teeth. For this reason, it is important to rinse your mouth thoroughly before flossing.
If you do not have access to running water, you can use a mouthwash instead.
Failing To Change Strands Of Floss Regularly
You should change your strands of floss at least once a week, or even more frequently if you notice that some of them are getting frayed.
This will allow you to prevent the build-up of bacteria on your teeth.
Final Thoughts
Adding flossing to your daily routine is an important element of maintaining excellent oral hygiene and overall health, but you must take care not to overdo it – too much flossing, or the wrong technique, can be worse than none. at all.
He has combined both of these skills to create his first company, Isopharm Limited, which became one of the top learning platforms within the dental industry.
With over 120,000 active users, he has been able to educate others in order to provide better dental care around the world.
With his expertise and work in the field, Andrew has been able to help many dental care professionals succeed in treating their patients.
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