What are the benefits of flossing?
What are the benefits of flossing?
Flossing regularly is so beneficial to the overall well-being of your mouth, yet it is somewhat overlooked in many peoples oral hygiene routine. In this article, we will explore the benefits of regular flossing, as well as giving a few tips on how to better incorporate it into your daily routine.
What does flossing do?
The main benefit of flossing is that it can remove tiny parties of food and plaque that would otherwise be impossible to reach through brushing alone. Using floss allows you to get in-between all the nooks and crannies in your teeth, so you are able to clean your teeth a lot more effectively.
By removing the small pieces of residue left over in your teeth, you are not only removing plaque and the build-up of tartar; you are also whitening your teeth by cleaning them so intensively. You should try and floss at least once a day, after brushing, in order to drastically reduce the chances of developing gum disease, losing teeth, and need dentures later on in life.
Flossing with braces
Flossing can be considered an impossible task when fitted with braces, whoever, there are more than enough methods and tools to help you floss with braces on. You may have to take more time when attending to your teeth whilst wearing braces, around three times as long, to reduce the risk of gum disease, however by using dental picks instead of regular floss or tape, this can make flossing a lot more accessible and easier to do. You can also purchase capsules to stain your teeth temporarily so you know where to target when brushing or flossing.
How does flossing help me medically?
There are many medical benefits to flossing, and they are not necessarily restricted to the teeth and gums. Of course, flossing strengthens and cleans your gums, reduces staining on your teeth and fights bad breath. But by examining your mouth through flossing daily, you can detect swelling and redness on your tongue or in your gum line, which could be a sign of multiple ailments, from ulcers and gum disease to other serious medical conditions.
How do I floss properly?
Flossing is quite an easy technique to adapt to, so once it has become a normal part of your daily routine, it should become second nature. Firstly, finding the right type of floss that suits you is important. You have a variety to choose from but the three most popular choices are the original floss string, which is best for adapting to the contours of your teeth and gums, dental tape, which provides extra strength when flossing and dental picks, which are designed to help those with braces floss.
To conclude, using floss in your daily routine has huge benefits to your overall health, confidence and hygiene. There are plenty of different methods and products to try out, so you can have the most comfortable experience using floss, so making it part of your routine has never been so easy!
Are you looking for advice on improving your oral hygiene? Why not contact Loughborough dentists today to see how we can help you!