March 16, 2022

7 Things You Probably Didn’t Know About Flossing

If your child has been brushing and flossing consistently, one of the questions your Pediatric Dentists will ask is if he or she has been brushing and flossing regularly. Many kids wash their teeth once or twice a day these days. It’s simple to do and just takes a few minutes. Flossing, on the other hand, is a different matter. Many people do not consider it a key priority, and some people simply do not do it. Flossing, on the other hand, is essential for your child’s healthy gums and teeth.

Let’s look at seven reasons why flossing should be a top priority.

Flossing is a good way to keep your breath fresh

Food can become stuck between your teeth and gums. Cleaning between your teeth with floss helps to remove this material as well as plaque build-up. Your breath will start to smell if you don’t get the trash and plaque out of there. Don’t put folks off by having foul breath.

It’ll take about 20 inches of floss.

Floss is normally packaged on a roll that you may raw out and break off as needed. For a single cleaning session, dentists recommend utilizing between 18 and 20 inches. This allows you to have a firm grip on the floss while still having enough clean floss on hand. Of course, if you run out of floss, you can get some more to finish the job

Flossing should not be stopped because your gums are bleeding

If you don’t floss on a regular basis, your child’s gums may bleed the next time you do. Allowing that to be an excuse to stop flossing is not a good idea. Flossing on a regular basis helps to toughen the gums, which will eventually stop bleeding.

Flossing with flavored floss is a lot of fun.

Floss comes in a variety of flavors if you walk down the dentistry aisle. Bubblegum, mint, and cinnamon are the most prevalent flavors seen in pharmacies. If you’re feeling experimental, floss comes in a variety of flavors, including bacon, grape, dill pickle, and cupcake. Yum?

Flossing takes care of the 30% of your teeth that brushing misses.

Only 70% of your tooth surface is reached by your toothbrush. You will not be able to reach the remaining 30% no matter how hard or meticulously you brush. Flossing takes over at this point. The floss can reach down between the teeth and scrape away any remaining plaque and surface debris.

Flossing and wearing braces go hand in hand

Keeping teeth clean while wearing orthodontic equipment such as braces is a unique difficulty. Brushing around the braces can only remove so much food debris. Due to orthodontic apparatus, traditional flossing can only go so far. Floss threaders and proxy brushes are two tools that can help you remove all of the food debris.

Waxed or unwaxed

Floss comes in a variety of shapes and sizes. Rubber and plastic are commonly used to make monofilament floss. Instead, silk and nylon are used in multifilament floss. Waxed floss is ideal for getting between teeth that are too close together. Other than that, non-waxed works fine.

You should be able to tell your pediatric dentist or hygienist that you brush and floss on a regular basis the next time you see them. Make an appointment with us today.