Flossing - Tips, Truths, and Misconceptions

Flossing is not only one of the three main parts of oral hygiene – the others being tongue cleaning, and obviously tooth brushing – it is also important in personal health maintenance. Like anything else, it must be done correctly in order to get the maximum benefit. Improper flossing can lead to tooth and gum problems. Here, we will deal with some misconceptions and tips on how to turn flossing into a successful, daily exercise that will reap tremendous benefits and cost you little time. It takes less than two minutes, but your teeth – as well as the rest of your body, will thank you for your diligence.

An ergonomic flosser. These can be used by people who find normal, wrap flossing difficult due to arthritis, or lack of dexterity.

Author: Jakonini, under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license.

Is it Possible to Floss too Much?

Actually, yes. Flossing once per day is plenty. With certain exceptions, any more than that gives virtually no added benefit. In fact, it can carry a risk. Plaque takes between 16-24 hours to build up on and in between the teeth. Therefore, flossing twice or more per day is throwing away floss – and money.

The risk of flossing too frequently is irritation of the gums, and the wearing down of the sides of the enamel. If there is no residue to remove when you floss, you are abrading the floss against the tooth. If this is done too frequently over a period of too many years, it can cause wear.

Refraining from Flossing Because it “Makes Your Gums Bleed”

This is perhaps one of the most popular and counter-intuitive reasons people have in forgoing flossing. People who have not been introduced to floss as children, or have not done it since they were in their youth, will probably find that when they begin to floss, they will have the taste of some blood in their mouths.

Many will try again the next day, or perhaps they will wait a few days. They end up getting the same result. It is at this point where many of these misguided souls will then throw their floss away, saying that it does them no good – all it does is hurt and cause them to bleed. This is exactly the wrong thing to do.

The very reason your gums are bleeding after not having flossed for years is gingivitis. Which is, of course, a result of not flossing. Your gums are swollen, and thus sensitive to the abrasion of the floss. If you continue to floss once a day, the bleeding should cease after a couple of weeks, with the accompanying pain level also gradually subsiding. You just have to push through that period to restore your gums to health. Ceasing to floss will eventually cause that early stage gingivitis to progress to more serious gum disease, leading to more severe pain along with tooth loss.

Up and Down, Not Back and Forth

This is a mistake made by many beginners. The correct form of flossing is to make a bend, firmly pressing against the side of the tooth. Then the motion should be vertical. Flossing up and down will ensure that the entire side of the tooth will be treated. Sawing back and forth can result in inadequate cleaning, as well as a more serious problem in the long term. The sawing motion can severely irritate the gums, causing gingivitis by abrasion. Improper flossing can actually have a similar result as refraining from doing so when it comes to your gingiva.

Not Flossing

Despite repeated warnings and campaigns by dentists, an alarming number of people do not floss their teeth with adequate frequency. Different studies have calculated nearly one-fifth to as high as one-third of Americans remain non-flossers. Daily flossers have been estimated at anywhere to as low as 30 percent to just over 50 percent. As for people who floss less than daily, the estimation lies in the 30 to 40 percent range.

Regular, twice per day brushing is essential to prevent plaque and tartar buildup, and prevent cavities. However, it will all be for naught if cavities are not prevented on the sides of the teeth and below the gum line where the brush cannot reach. If your gums become too diseased to tightly hold in your teeth, brushing will not save them.

In recent years, the medical understanding of the importance of flossing has gone beyond oral and dental hygiene. There is now increasing evidence that flossing will reduce your risk of heart disease, diabetes, and some cancers. The reason for this is that your gums are rife with blood vessels. Your mouth is full of bacteria – some of which are beneficial – however, poor oral hygiene also results in the harmful types. If gums are swollen, inflamed, and prone to bleeding, this harmful bacteria can get in the bloodstream and transport to other areas of the body, where they can cause inflammation.

Flossing is not just important for your oral health, but the health of your body. It should be part of the daily grooming and cleaning regimen for everyone, yet there are still millions that unfortunately skip it.

Using the Wrong Type of Floss

 Today, there are several different types of flosses. There are

·         Waxed

·         Non-waxed

·         Shred resistant

·         Woven

·         Satin

·         Electric

·         Hand-held floss picks

If you floss with proper form with any of these products, it will adequately do the job. There is no singular best product for every person. The two main factors in finding the right floss for you are how it feels on your teeth and gums, and how well you can manipulate it with your fingers. Keep in mind that how easy it is for you to handle can have a considerable influence on how comfortable it will feel in your mouth.

Holding the Floss Incorrectly

Your index fingers are the most sensitive and dexterous in your hand. You should use them along with your thumbs to do the maneuvering. Many people make the mistake of wrapping the floss around the index fingers, making maneuverability more difficult. Wrap the floss around your middle fingers, to free up the motion for your indexes.