When your parents or dentist talk to you about brushing and flossing, your immediate (somewhat natural) reaction is “Urghhh… really? 😒” But the reality is cruel and simple:
You brush your teeth and floss – you keep your teeth. 😁👍
Don't wash & you don't floss... guess what happens? 🙊👎
Patients always ask me, "Should I floss? When should I floss?" Is it so important to floss?”
I thought I'd give you some tips and suggestions to make it really simple. YES, you should floss. Most patients think, “Oh, I don’t like flossing, it hurts. It makes me bleed. I don’t do it often.” It’s not something they feel comfortable doing, but you should floss because:
- It prevents you from getting cavities between your teeth.
- It prevents you from getting holes in your teeth.
- It prevents you from needing dentistry in the future and having toothaches.
- it is good for the gums (prevents gum disease).
The reason we floss is because you can't get a toothbrush between your teeth, no matter how hard you try. If your teeth are very close together, a toothbrush will never be able to clean there. Flossing will get in between your teeth and actually clean those parts of your teeth. But if you don't floss for two years, then those parts of your teeth will be dirty for two years. So yes, it's important to do that.
What is the correct way to use dental floss?
The way most of my patients floss is wrong. Flossing is not something you should be sewing back and forth. It is something that should be done once a day. Do it before you go to bed because normally we have a little more time then. We are all in a rush in the morning, trying to get to work, eat breakfast, etc.
“"If your teeth are very close together, a toothbrush will never clean there."”
Try taking a nice, thin piece of satin ribbon dental floss, Wrap it around your fingers and just make it go in and out. Șand that's it. Next gap. No stitches back and forth. Make sure you do it in a mirror so you can see what you're doing - it's not so easy on the back teeth sometimes. If it gets stuck or you panic, let go and pull it out to the side.
These are my two tips for flossing: once a day, right before bed. You should do it because it will stop a lot of problems and keep your teeth for longer. I would suggest using Oral B satin tape, which is a nice, thin, non-waxed floss. You can buy a waxed version, but this one is nice and thin and just slides between your teeth. If it breaks, it breaks cleanly and you don't have to worry about getting bits between your teeth. It comes in a nice green and blue box and only costs a few pounds.
Is mouthwash necessary?
Another thing patients may ask me about is: “"Should I use mouthwash and floss?". Mouthwash is usually used to freshen your breath, so it's not necessarily essential, nor should it be used every day. I would definitely recommend brushing your teeth first thing in the morning and at night, ideally using an electric toothbrush, and flossing once a day right before bed (right before brushing your teeth).
If you want to use mouthwash, you can use it, but maybe it would be better to use it at lunch, because that way you'll have fluoride on your teeth morning, night and lunch. Or if you want to use it for fresh breath, you can, but it's not absolutely necessary.
What type of toothbrush is best to use?
A lot of patients also ask me about tooth brushing and what toothbrush to use.
I would recommend every time an electric toothbrush. The one manufactured by OB-roll, which has a small, round electric toothbrush head. Use it once in the morning for two minutes and once in the evening for another two minutes. Make sure you really get the toothbrush around the gum lines as well as on the teeth. There's a lot to brush, not just your teeth. The reason I like this brand is because the toothbrush head is very small, so you can move it all around your teeth. You can also easily clean your wisdom teeth.
This is probably my best advice when it comes to brushing your teeth, how to brush your teeth, and how to take care of your mouth. Or to sum it all up – don’t worry about brushing and flossing on your all teeth! Only the ones you want to keep! 😆 😆.
Source: enlightensmiles.com
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