The people at the
gramercy dental group
are singing the praises of floss in this post. Enjoy!
To Floss or Not To Floss? ...
I
think we all know the answer is…To Floss! I love flossing and I want
all my patients to love flossing too. Why? Because, believe it or not,
flossing is known to be more effective than brushing when it comes to
preventing tooth loss, cavities, gingivitis and periodontal disease.
No, this is not permission to stop brushing, but here are the flossing facts:
1. Flossing removes old food and plaque (sticky film) between our teeth that the toothbrush just can’t reach.
2. If you don’t floss, you’re more likely to have plaque build-up, which can lead to cavities, gingivitis, and gum disease.
3. If gum disease goes untreated you could be at risk for not only losing your teeth but also heart disease and diabetes.
4. It’s best to floss after a meal to remove food particles before they turn into plaque.
5.
If you don’t floss, plaque stays on your teeth and hardens into tartar.
Tartar can form in a little over a day, and once it’s there, only a
dentist or dental hygienist can remove it.
6. If you can only
commit to flossing once a day, I tell my patients to get in the habit of
doing it during their evening hygiene ritual. That way you’re removing
all the bacteria from between your teeth before turning in for the
night.
7. And, if nothing else here impressed upon you the
importance of flossing…do it simply for your pride, your ego, your
dating & kissing stats. Because NOT flossing leads to halitosis (bad
breath) as we shared with you in one of our previous blogs. And who
wants halitosis!!??
Flossing Made Easy
1. Break off about
18 inches of floss and wind most of it around one of your index fingers.
Now, wind the remaining floss around the index finger of your other
hand.
2. Hold the floss tightly between your thumbs and index fingers.
3. Glide the floss between your teeth using a gentle rubbing motion, make sure to not snap the floss into the gums.
4.
When the floss reaches the gum line curve it into a “c” shape against
one tooth. Gently slide it into the space between the gum and the tooth
and then rub the floss up and down. Then repeat on the adjacent tooth.
5.
Remove the floss from between those two teeth. Unwrap a new section of
floss from between your fingers and repeat until you have flossed
between all of your teeth…including the backside of your last teeth.
We
hoped this has helped you understand the importance of flossing and
made you want to bring this healthy practice into your every day life.
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The next time you're looking for dental care on Park Ave in NYC, look them up!
