Flossing Dental Advice From Tremont Dental

To Floss or Not to Floss, That is the Question

If you have ever sat in the dentist’s chair and received a lecture with concern to oral hygiene you have doubtless been introduced to the importance of flossing on a daily basis. It seems as though dentists love to harp on the point; some have been known to spend up to a half an hour extolling the proper method of flossing the teeth and selecting the appropriate type of floss.

The dentist is right, however, and they are perfectly justified in trying to give their patients a push in the right direction. Less than fifty percent of the population flosses on a daily basis, although the benefits of doing so have been widely noted.

Bacteria!?

Flossing plays a vital role in the well being of your mouth, and is almost as important in the fight against plaque and cavities as the toothbrush. When you brush your teeth you are essentially moving particles around, and while a majority of these particles are going to be knocked loose into the combination of saliva and foam created by the brushing process a portion of them are going to be wedged in between the teeth.

There they will sit until they are removed, and failure to do so will result in bacteria building up in this warm, nutrient rich environment that appears to have been special ordered just for them.

What is the big deal about these bacteria? These bacteria are the ones that are going to cause your breath to smell and your mouth to taste bad. They, along with the sugars trapped in the food they are residing in, are going to cause your teeth to rot until you have cavities that need to be filled or entire teeth that need to be pulled from your mouth. They will help to corrupt your smile, infect your gums and generally cause you a great deal of pain and aggravation.

Floss Daily

Eventually eating will become a chore, and you will be forced back to the dentist for treatment, where you will be blessed to listen to the same old lecture about flossing. Wouldn’t it be easier to just do it in the first place?

Of course, flossing is not just about sticking a piece of thread between your teeth, wiggling it around a little bit and calling it a day. The idea is to free all of the particles that have been compacted down inside, so it is necessary to take the floss and scoop down into the crevices between the teeth. Take care to carefully run the thread tightly along the sides of each of the teeth so that all of the food and plaque is removed and the edges are shiny and smooth. For a double whammy be sure to add a little mouthwash into the mix. Once you have knocked everything loose you can take the mouthwash and send it on its merry way, while at the same time killing any bacteria that may have been left behind.

Flossing is vitally important to the well being of your teeth, and it should be done at least once a day. If you are unsure about how to floss, ask your dentist. He’ll be happy to tell you all about it!

Call or email us today at south End Boston Dental Care to set up an appointment.