When it comes to keeping good care of your mouth, everyone knows that brushing at least twice a day is essential. Most Americans also know that using mouthwash is an important aspect of good oral care. There seems to be one question that always comes up in the world of dentistry: do you really need to floss?
The short answer, of course, is yes! Flossing is crucial for keeping your teeth and gums healthy and a key factor in protecting yourself from periodontal disease.
While brushing is important to do on a daily basis, it only scratches the surface of keeping your mouth healthy. Flossing helps clean out the gaps between your teeth where bacteria can hide and begin to grow. When bacteria remains in your mouth over a long period of time, you will begin to develop bad breath and soon after the appearance and health of your gums will begin to deteriorate and cause gum disease. If left untreated, gum disease can be a huge risk for heart disease, high body mass index, and diabetes.
How to floss:
1. Loop approximately 18″ of floss around each of your index fingers, with about an inch of dental floss to use.
2. Holding the floss tightly between your index fingers and thumbs, gently begin sliding the floss up and down between your teeth.
3. Curve the floss softly around the base of each tooth, and be sure to go beneath the gum line. Be sure not to force or snap the floss, as this may damage or bruise the gum tissue.
4. Use only the clean areas of floss as you move from tooth to tooth
It’s important to floss correctly and floss often. It’s recommended to floss at least once a day for a few minutes every session to ensure you are eliminating all food debris and bacteria from in between your teeth and gums.
Do You Really Need to Floss?
