flossing technique

Flossing is one of the more overlooked (and frequently skipped) steps to good dental hygiene. Dentists agree it’s an essential part of dental care. But if it seems like your floss is getting stuck between your teeth more often than your food does, it’s tempting just to brush your teeth and skip flossing. Don’t do it!

The Academy of General Dentistry cites flossing as the most important line of defense in fighting plaque. Flossing removes plaque and food particles that a toothbrush can’t reach, which leads to fresher breath and a reduced risk of gum disease and tooth decay.

The American Dental Association recommends brushing teeth for two minutes twice a day as well as flossing (or using another interdental tool) to clean between the teeth once a day. If your floss keeps getting stuck, there are solutions to help you floss with ease.

Reasons why floss may be getting stuck between your teeth  

Dental floss is thin, but it can still get wedged in between teeth. This happens more often when you are experiencing one or more of the following:

• Your teeth are set too close together.
• There is plaque build-up between teeth.
• Tooth enamel or restorative dental work has started to break down and creates uneven surfaces between the teeth.
• You use an improper flossing technique. Are you making one of these common flossing mistakes?

How to prevent floss from getting stuck

Not all dental floss is created equal. Sometimes, switching types of floss can aid in preventing it from getting stuck in between your teeth.

Unwaxed dental floss, made of nylon fibers, is more likely to get stuck, shred, or break while flossing. Waxed dental floss is sometimes thicker because of the wax coating, but the wax also enables it to glide more smoothly between teeth.

Polytetrafluorethylene floss is another synthetic floss that is stronger than most conventional waxed or unwaxed varieties. It is also slick, which allows it to slide easily through the tight spaces in between your teeth.

Proper flossing technique 

If your dental floss routinely gets stuck between your teeth, you might need to adjust your flossing technique to make flossing easier and more effective.

No matter what type of dental floss you choose, start with a strand about 18 inches long. Wind most of the length around your two middle fingers, leaving just a couple inches between your hands. Pull the floss tight, holding it taut with your index fingers and thumbs.

Use a gentle sawing motion to guide the floss between your teeth, moving it up and down. When the floss reaches the gum line, bend the floss into a C-shape around the tooth, allowing the floss to reach all the way to the base of the tooth.

Still working gently, scrape the floss against the base of the tooth, working on one side of one tooth and then moving to the side of the adjacent tooth.

Continue to use the up and down sawing motion, as you move, and be gentle! Keep the floss taut against the surface of your teeth to remove plaque, and avoid letting the floss dig into the gums, which can cause irritation, redness, and bruising.

After each tooth, unwind a clean section of floss from your fingers. Make sure to get into each crevice between the teeth, including the hard-to-reach teeth in the back of your mouth! When you're finished flossing your entire mouth, remember to rinse well to remove any leftover bits of plaque or debris.

If you're going to make an effort to floss, follow proper flossing technique to prevent your floss from getting stuck in the tight spaces in your mouth. Your teeth will thank you!

If you continue to experience problems flossing, visit Water Tower Dental Care! We can take a look at your teeth to see if there are any serious issues causing flossing to be difficult for you and teach you the proper way to floss in person.

Flossing is an important part of dental hygiene. One should consider it just as beneficial as brushing their teeth in the fight to prevent plaque, cavities, and gingivitis. However, from last week's post: How to Brush Your Teeth Properly, we learned it's not beneficial to brush your teeth more than three times a day and can potentially hurt your gums. Another question we though we could clear up is; "Can you floss too much?" (Too much being more than three times a day)
The simple answer is no. If you're experiencing pain or discomfort while flossing regularly, it's more likely that you're flossing incorrectly than flossing too much. We'll get to that issue in a moment. But more importantly, we would like to respond to the question by asking another, "Why would you want to floss that much?"

Why Is It Important to Floss?

To understand why we ask that question, it's good to know a little more about flossing. Flossing is a critical element to healthy gums. Its main purpose is to remove the plaque and bacteria that forms in between the teeth, where a toothbrush will have trouble reaching. Though its purpose is to mostly help the gums, the floss' focus should remain on the tooth. When plaque builds up, it will slowly work its way down into the gums. By removing it from the teeth, you're preventing any potential health issues with your gums.
So, here's why we ask the second question. Plaque and bacteria between your teeth does not produce as quickly as it might on the outside layer of your teeth. Most plaque and bacteria in between your teeth will take about 24 hours to form. So, if you floss once a day, there's not much reason to continue flossing. Of course, if you ate a messy meal and have food stuck between your teeth, you might find a second (or even third) flossing session in a day beneficial for your comfort, however, it's not a necessary action.
So back to those who do floss several times a day and are experiencing discomfort. Most likely, you're flossing incorrectly.

3 common flossing mistakes that you should avoid:

Not Working Each Side of the Tooth

When flossing, you should place the floss between your teeth and form a C shape around one side of a tooth and scrub. Then, you should reverse your C shape and scrub the opposite side. Often, many people will only scrub one side, or neither and just "saw" the floss between the teeth. This can result in neither plaque or bacteria being removed and ultimately causing gum damage.

Forcing The Floss Between the Teeth

Another common mistake happens when two teeth are very tightly pushed together. The proper way to move floss in between the teeth is so use a sawing motion to slowly enter the tight space. If you're forcing the floss between the teeth in a snapping motion, you can cause the floss to come down hard and cut the gums, which can result in bleeding and further damage.

Not Using New Floss

When you switch from one tooth to another, it's a good idea to move the floss in your hands to an un-used spot. Floss removes the plaque by scraping it off and catching most of it on the floss. If you're using the same area of floss for the next tooth, you're going to be adding plaque you already removed to a new area.

Flossing Without a Plan

Another issue that can cause discomfort, even if you are flossing numerous times a day, is missing entire sections of your teeth because you're not strategically flossing. If you're not focusing the floss between every tooth, your numerous flossing practices may not be working very well. You should start with a plan as to how you will work your way around your mouth to floss between every tooth.
Your plan is entirely up to you, but it's wise to stick to whatever that plan is. If you want to start at the very back of your lower teeth, work your way around and then do the same for the top, that's a great strategy. Whatever the plan is, just make sure to stick with it each time you floss, that way you're always sure you're cleaning every tooth.
If you avoid these common mistakes and keep a good schedule of flossing at least once a day, you'll be on your way to healthier gums and a brighter smile. If you have any questions or would like to set up an appointment with Water Tower Dental, Chicago's #1 Dental Office, contact us today, we'd be happy to talk to you more about proper dental techniques and make sure you're teeth are on their way to meet their full potential.