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There are various types of floss available. Flossing is a step more than that your tooth brush is unable to do. Flossing is a process that helps remove dental plaque from areas that a normal toothbrush and toothpaste cannot reach such as between teeth and under the gums. This helps prevent tooth decay and gum disease. Within 24 to 36 hours, plaque hardens into tartar (also called calculus) which can only be removed by professional teeth cleaning. Floss at least once a day, and plaque never gets the chance to harden into tartar. All dentists and dental associations recommend that people floss their teeth at least once daily in addition to brushing twice daily. In addition to removing plaque, flossing helps to remove food debris from between teeth and gums, polish tooth surfaces and control bad breath (halitosis). Experts recommend establishing a regular time for flossing and following a consistent pattern. There are two major techniques used to floss – the spool method and the loop method.
Dental floss of different brands comes with instruction for use. It is important to follow the mentioned directions. In general, however, the spool method involves wrapping one end of the dental floss around each middle finger and using the index fingers and thumb to hold the floss tightly as it is guided between the teeth in an up-and-down fashion. The loop method involves tying the ends of the floss into a circle and placing all the fingers (but not the thumb) inside the loop. The index fingers guide the floss through the lower teeth, while the thumbs guide the floss through the upper teeth. With both methods, the purpose is to remove plaque by scraping the tooth surface while also guiding the floss between the tooth and gum to clean below the gumline. This should be done with care because snapping the floss into the gums can injure them. Dental floss is available in either unwaxed or waxed form. In addition, it is available in flavored or unflavored and wide and regular varieties. Studies have found that all types of floss are about equally effective in removing plaque.
You may seek the recommendation from your dentist on the right type of dental floss, while picking up flavoured or unflavoured variety may be your personal choice. Other types of floss include polytetrafluoroethylene-type floss, dental tape or ribbon and braided nylon floss, of wide and regular types. Special floss threaders and types of floss are available for people with braces, who need to use particular types for thorough flossing. Interdental picks are also available to remove plaque between teeth, but may not provide as thorough cleansing.
A recommendation for the appropriate dental floss from your dentist is more technical. He may suggest the wider floss – also called dental tape – to be used by people with bridges or people who have especially wide spaces (diastema) between their teeth. In some cases, patients with dental implants may need to experiment with different types of flosses before finding the type that is appropriate for them. Some people with severe periodontal disease experience significant pain during flossing, and a dentist may recommend that certain patients use an irrigating device (water pik) instead of floss. Patients with braces may want to supplement flossing with water irrigation to ensure that all debris in tiny tooth recesses is thoroughly removed.
How to Floss
Advancement in technology saw electric floss emerging for special needs. Adopting electric floss by other is a matter of convenience. Electric flosses generally are only recommended for people who have a disability or another factor that prevents them from flossing manually. Irrigating devices such as water picks do not remove plaque, although they may help clear the teeth of some food debris. Dentists continue to recommend daily flossing despite recent claims that some mouth rinses may be as effective as flossing at removing plaque. It can take time to get used to flossing. However, people quickly become more proficient as they gain more experience. Children typically are able to floss without assistance by the time they reach the age of 10. Most experts agree that manual flossing is the most effective method of removing plaque between teeth. |
