FLOSSING YOUR "32"

Dental Flossing- Necessary and Important

Dental Floss" many of us don't even know what is floss and how flossing is done.

               Dental flossing is an equally important,easy and effective way of cleaning as tooth brushing.
Did you know that when you don't floss, you miss cleaning 35% of tooth surface? That's because brushing cannot easily get into spaces between your teeth. Unfortunately,however bacteria can! Flossing completes brushing, American Dental Association (ADA) reports that up to 80% of plaque can be eliminated with this method.
People often think they have great oral hygiene because they brush their teeth twice daily. In reality they are only removing 50-60% of the plaque.

Brushing without flossing is like washing only 2/3rd of your body. That can cause  bad breath as well as cavities and gum diseases.

  What's a "Dental floss" ? 

It is a cord of thin filaments,a soft,strong thread usually made of nylon,for drawing in between the teeth to remove food particles and prevent plaque build up.

Types of floss:-   As time goes on new types of flosses have come to the market.                             

              -: Waxed: traditional string floss,waxed monofilaments.

               -: Un-waxed: traditional string floss, un-waxed multi filaments.

               -: Dental tape: waxed floss that has a wider and flatter design.

                -: Floss picks: single filament attached with a handle with two prongs in Y or F shape.

               -: Powered flosses: single filament attached to a battery working handle.

            Dental floss made of monofilament coated in wax slides easily between teeth,both waxed and unwaxed floss are available in varying widths. Factors to consider in choosing a floss include the amount of space between teeth and user preferences. The ability of different type of dental floss to remove dental plaque does not vary significantly.

Dental tape is recommended for people with large tooth surface area.

The floss picks have been produced to hold the floss, but the drawback of picks is that it cannot reach all the same areas a regular floss can, also do not give enough floss to use a clean section each time.

Some flosses are also coated with antibacterial agent like chlorhexidine or fluoride for additional benefits. Among these you can choose any floss of any brand name, which suits your teeth better.

                      How to floss??

     Although you would assume most adults know how to floss properly,this sadly is not the case, many people do it incorrectly or not at all.

To reap the benefits of flossing, it has to be done correctly. The researchers concluded that flossing when done properly has a substantial,positive effect on oral health.

   4 Simple Steps :-

  - Get a piece of floss approx 18 inches long and wrap it around both middle fingers,with more on one finger than the other, leave one to two inches of floss to utilize.

  - Hold the floss tightly between your thumb and index finger,slide it between your teeth up and down gently,during this curve the floss around the teeth in a C-shape as if the floss is hugging the tooth.

  - Glide the floss between your teeth using zigzag motion, making sure to go gently beneath the gum line. Don use much pressure as it can cause damage.

  - After you finish with one tooth,use a clean section of floss to scrape the next tooth,otherwise you're just moving the bacteria from one place to another.

BENEFITS OF FLOSSING :-  

- Prevents bad breath.

- Prevents tartar build up.

- Prevents gum diseases.

- Prevents cavities.                              

WHEN TO FLOSS ??                                                                                                                                                   After learning how to floss another big question arises, is when to floss? American Dental Hygienists Association says the right way is to floss before brushing and then rinse your mouth.The logic is simple,you floss to remove food particle and plaque away with the tooth brush."If you flossed after brush, all the bacteria would just sit on your teeth instead of being swept away".ADA says flossing first has another benefit by cleaning out bacteria between the teeth, the fluoride in your tooth paste has a better chance of getting into those tight areas. Fluoride helps prevent cavities.

Precaution:-

                      Flossing should not be painful, its normal for it to be uncomfortable when you first start bit within a week or two, that discomfort should ease.Beware of flossing too hard. It could damage the tissue between your teeth  and lead to bleeding and laceration of gums, don't be too gentle either, which might not complete the effect of the job.
From years of studies, we can confidently say that flossing makes a big difference in your oral and overall health. So give time for this new way of cleaning your teeth and feel even more fresh and healthy.

THANKYOU.

Regards: Dr. MITALI PATEL