How Should Dental Floss be Used?

How To Use Dental Floss, What Should Be Considered?

Cleaning food residues between teeth is as important as brushing teeth to ensure oral and dental health. Tooth brushing is a cleaning process that should be done periodically. This process makes it possible to clean the teeth to a certain extent. To prevent dental caries before it occurs, to ensure oral and dental health, and for a healthy life, regular dental care is required. 

Every individual should pay attention to having routine check-ups at the dentist once a year. In addition to brushing teeth for dental health, cleaning the residues between the teeth by using dental floss is very important. There are some things to consider when using dental floss. We will now focus on these issues.

Why Is Dental Floss Necessary?

Oral hygiene is necessary to ensure oral and dental health. Oral hygiene can be achieved by regular brushing, cleaning the food residues between the teeth using dental floss, cleaning the tongue's surface by brushing, and using moutwash. The ability to clean the teeth at a spesific rate during tooth brushing also makes it necessary to perform different procedures. 

Tooth and gum problems may occur when dental care is not done correctly. Dental caries is a significant health problem among them. Among the causes of dental caries are excessive consumption of carbohydrate and sugar-containing foods during nutrition and insufficient oral hygiene after feeding. 

In addition to genetic effects, tooth cleaning that is not done well after feeding causes bacteria to form in the mouth. Tooth decay can occur when bacterial plaques include acid and damage the enamel on the surface of the teeth. Oral health and hygiene are essential because digestion starts in the mouth. Dental floss has an essential place among the materials used to achieve this. 

Tooth decay or gum problems are preventable health problems. If such problems are not treated when they occur, they can trigger different diseases. Therefore, one should not be negligent in the face of tooth decay or gingival problems, and treatment should be sought by applying to an experienced and competent dentist. 

How To Use Dental Floss?

Some issues need to be considered when using dental floss. First of all, the material to be used must be healthy. Flossing is as easy as using a toothbrush. However, it may be necessary to experiment for a certain period of time in order to master the floss, and to clean the areas between the teeth sufficiently. 

Generally, dental floss can be sold with ready-made apparatus, while there are dental floss suitable for use only as a floss. Maneuvering between teeth is more accessible when the floss is stretched and wrapped between the thumb, and forefinger. When this procedure is to be done, a piece of dental floss approximately 40-50 cm long should be wrapped around the middle finger.

While cleaning each tooth space, dental floss is used by matching the clean part of the floss wrapped around the finger. Care should be taken not to damage the gums while flossing. For this reason, it is necessary to work with soft movements during the maneuver. The floss that needs to be moved up and down between the teeth can easily pick up food residues. 

When this process is done for each tooth, the unused parts of the dental floss should be preferred. In this way, the issue of ensuring hygiene is also taken into account. The most important feature of dental floss is that it can penetrate every point toothbrushes cannot reach. The bleeding that may occur in the gums when the floss is used for the first time is temporary and does not cause bleeding in long-term use. 

If this bleeding, which is expected to go away on its own after a while, continues, it would be appropriate to consult a dentist. Proper use of dental floss provides access to areas under the gumline and between teeth. The junction points where the teeth are in contact with each other should be cleaned. Plaque formed on the teeth causes dental caries. 

Among the harmful effects of plaque, there are gingival disorders as well as dental caries. When the teeth are cleaned regularly with dental floss, dental caries and gum diseases can be prevented before they occur. There are some points to be considered while using dental floss. Providing the maximum benefit expected from the floss is related to the correct use. 

  • The floss should be kept taut between the thumb and middle fingers,
  • A dental floss approximately 40-50 cm long should be used,
  • Most of the thread should be wrapped around the middle finger,
  • The floss must come into contact with all tooth surfaces,
  • While the floss should pass the gum line, it is appropriate to move it up and down oscillating between the teeth,
  • The clean part of the floss should be used in each tooth gap.

Types of Dental Floss

There are two examples of dental floss types. While one is nylon type floss, PTFE, that is, monofilament dental floss, is also among those used. Nylon dental floss is monofilament. When choosing nylon dental floss, waxed or unwaxed flavors can be preferred. Multiple wires in the nylon floss type can cause abrasion when used for cramped teeth.

For this reason, the type of dental floss to be used must be chosen correctly. PTFE type dental floss can be preferred because it is resistant to tearing and offers comfortable use between cramped teeth. The most essential feature of both dental floss is that it cleans the residues between the teeth and prevents the plague formation. In this way, proper action is taken for oral and dental health. 

Dental floss is as essential a tool as toothbrushes for oral hygiene. In this respect, it is the healthiest approach to pay attention to the advice and suggestions of dentists for  dental floss, and toothbrushes suitable for your mouth, and tooth structure, and your needs and to act accordingly. You can visit our contact tab immediately, contact us with the help of tools and make an appointment.

Is Flossing Harmful?

The use of dental floss is recommended to maintain the health of the teeth. Dental floss, which dentists also recommend, is beneficial for dental health when the right materials are selected, and used with appropriate methods. Dental floss that benefits teeth and gum health does not cause gaping between the teeth. Produced in accordance with the structure of the teeth, and gums, dental floss is compatible with human health. Dental floss does not harm dental fillings either.

Dental fillings are as durable as the tooth itself. For this reason, they are not adversely affected by the effect of dental floss. Those who have veneers on their teeth can also use dental floss safely. When using dental floss, it is appropriate to perform the cleaning process with gentle movements. Bleeding that can be seen in the gums at first is mostly temporary. In addition, it is helpful to see a dentist in ongoing bleeding.

Mistakes In Flossing

Mistakes made in flossing include cleaning all teeth with the same floss. While the floss needs to be renewed on each tooth, using the same floss is harmful in terms of hygiene. In addition, cleaning should be started just below the gum line. Teeth should begin to appear where the gums end, and this area should be carefully cleaned with soft movements. 

During the cleaning process, periodic upward and downward movements should be made. When flossing is done correctly, dental and gingival health can be maintained. Paying attention to teeth cleaning, especially before bed at night, prevents bacteria that may occur in the mouth during sleep. Considering that digestion starts in the mouth, paying attention to oral hygiene is necessary to ensure oral and dental health.

The benefits of using dental floss are more in this regard. Foul odors in the mouth, especially in the morning, are eliminated when dental floss is used. For these reasons, it is recommended to pay attention to the use of dental floss in addition to brushing for mouth and teeth cleaning. Otherwise, it is possible to experience irreparable oral and dental health problems.