Are you flossing correctly?
Flossing is a key part of a healthy dental routine. Flossing involves using a thin piece of soft thread that is small enough to fit in between your teeth and removes bacteria or morsels of food that have been trapped when eating and drinking. Alongside brushing twice a day, you should floss daily as it can help prevent some problems from arising including cavities.
Naturally occurring bacteria in the mouth start to form as soon as you have stopped cleaning - these bacteria attach itself to the enamelHard calcified tissue covering dentin of the crown of tooth. of your teeth and if it is left untreated it can react with sugar to attack and weaken the enamel. This causes holes in the tooth to appear and these are known as cavities. From here bacteria can find its way into the centre of your tooth and cause infections to appear. If left untreated these cavities can develop into infections inside the tooth and more serious treatments such as root canalThe portion of the pulp cavity inside the root of a tooth; the chamber within the root of the tooth that contains the pulp. surgery may be needed to save the tooth.
Flossing allows the user to proactively prevent any problems from arising as it cleans the tooth and removes plaqueA soft sticky substance that accumulates on teeth composed largely of bacteria and bacterial derivatives. and decayThe lay term for carious lesions in a tooth; decomposition of tooth structure.. However, you must use the right technique, for example, pull a ten-inch piece of floss and only use one part on one tooth. If you kept flossing without moving along the thread, then this would merely cause the bacteria to move from one tooth to another.
If you have any further questions about flossing or need advice about how to floss or what floss to buy, please contact your dentist or hygienist and they will be delighted to answer any of your queries.
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