We can all learn to floss better. Particularly for individuals who have porcelain crowns or veneers – or individuals who have brightened their teeth with teeth whitening – daily hygiene means a healthy smile as well as maintaining a sparkling smile. If you have a solid handle on brushing your teeth and you schedule dental cleanings once every six months, you are certainly on your way toward exceptional maintenance. However, it is also important to ask yourself whether you are flossing effectively. This single factor can have a significant impact on the health of your smile and keeping staining to a minimum. Learn more about best flossing practices with the following:
How Much Floss Are You Using?
Hopefully you aren’t tearing off a short piece just long enough to fit between two teeth. However, if you are, don’t worry – there’s time to adjust your habits. Rather than cutting off just enough, we encourage you to use a strand of floss that measures approximately 1 -3 feet in length. This may sound long, but you have a lot of surface area to cover. Rather than dragging plaque and bacteria throughout your mouth as you floss, you will need to start with one little segment. You will then move on to a fresh segment of floss every time you move between the next set of teeth. This will not only help you to floss better but be more likely to clean more plaque away.
How’s Your Technique?
You may watch actors on movies flossing their teeth by moving the floss straight up and down. This looks good but does very little. Fortunately, it just takes a minor tweak to improve effectiveness. First, when you slide the floss down between two teeth and just beneath your gumline, you will need to curve the floss around one tooth, creating a c-shape. You will slide the floss up along the tooth to remove debris and plaque. Then, perform this process all over again along the neighboring tooth. Continue this method throughout your entire mouth. It’s pretty simple and will help you reap the benefits of teeth whitening or other treatments for a longer period of time.
Learn to floss better and other good oral hygiene habits
Aside from providing dependable general and restorative dentistry services to our community, Dr. James Fondriest also holds respected academic appointments at the Pankey Institute in Key Biscayne, FL, and the Spear Institute in Scottsdale, AZ, and he is an adjunct Associate Professor in the Department of Prosthodontics at the University of Florida Dental School. At Lake Forest Dental Arts, Dr. Fondriest combines his impressive array of experience with modern technology and caring, compassionate, knowledgeable staff, and we proudly serve patients from Chicago and all surrounding communities. To schedule a consultation, call our office today at (847) 234-0517.