Did you know that flossing your teeth every day is one of the most important things you can do for your overall dental health? A staggering 80% of adults forget to floss – which means that there’s a lot of plaque and bacteria building up around their teeth. Thankfully, you can use some easy tools to help both remember and remind yourself to floss more often.
Fortunately, flossing is not as hard as it may seem, and with a bit of help from this dentist in West Point, you can be sure that your dental hygiene routine is top-notch. When flossing, use the correct technique.
How to floss
With your forefinger and thumb hold your floss in a tight grip, and wrap the floss around each tooth. The floss should slide between your teeth easily but not too loosely. Once you have done that, slide the floss up and down a few times.
Try and curve the floss into a C shape as you approach the gum line to avoid hurting your gums. Make sure to clean each side of your tooth. The hardest to reach areas is the back teeth, so ensure you don’t neglect them.
When you have dental problems, flossing becomes an essential part of keeping your teeth and gums healthy. While brushing your teeth is often enough to keep dental problems at bay, flossing helps clean the build-up between the teeth, where brushing isn’t able to reach.
It can also prevent tooth decay and gum disease. Thus, in the evening even after a long day, try and squeeze in some minutes to floss your teeth. Consistently flossing your teeth, especially in the evening keeps your gums and teeth healthy.
Tips to Help You Remember to Floss
Set a phone reminder
Our phone has easily become our new best friend, well for most of us. So how about using it to your advantage. This will increase your chances of making flossing a daily habit.
Keep your floss in easy-to-reach places
Floss is a messy business. And the longer you attempt to floss, the dirtier it gets. Ten minutes of flossing can be a wasted 10 minutes when you’ve tangled your floss up into a web of knots. Our solution? Stash floss in your car or purse for easier reach for between trips to the bathroom sink.
Reward yourself after flossing
Rewards are proven to help people develop healthy new habits. Flossing may seem like a chore, but it’s one of the easiest ways to take care of your overall oral health. One way to keep you motivated is by rewarding yourself with a mint after each flossing session until it becomes a daily routine. There is nothing better like the feeling of fresh breath and clean teeth to start your day in style.
Floss when you can
Taking care of your teeth is no time for rushing. Take your time when flossing. Make sure to always guide the floss between your teeth, not on top or below them.
Use the correct floss
Using a floss threader can help you remember to floss consistently. A floss threader is a small, transparent plastic threading tool that guides floss through tight interdental spaces. The floss threader allows the floss to glide effortlessly through the space between your teeth and gums. Perfect for reaching hard-to-reach places. Take the guesswork out of flossing by using a dental device specifically designed to make it easier.
Conclusion
At Parramatta dentist, we believe that healthy teeth and gums will impact your lifestyle. Our dentists offer a range of high-quality, pain-free, or minor surgical procedures such as teeth whitening, dental implants, root canal treatment, and more. Get in touch with us today.