What is floss?

Floss is usually a cord of synthetic material which is used to remove germs, plaque and leftover food pieces from ones mouth usually from places where a brush cannot reach. It is usually done to clean areas between the teeth and below the gum line where the tooth brush cannot reach easily.

How to floss your teeth?

Flossing is a substantial part of your oral care. But how can you floss properly? For this you can always use water flosser from home for properly flossing your teeth. Below we have described the proper way of how to floss your teeth;

Break off about 18 inches of the floss and twist or curl the most of it on both the middle fingers of your hands.

Now hold the floss firmly between your forefingers and thumb.

Now by using a gentle circular rubbing motion take the floss in between your teeth and start rubbing it to clean your teeth but be careful not to hurt your gums by snapping them with the floss.

Now repeat this rubbing pattern on all your teeth but whenever you are near your gums bend the floss into a C shape so that you won’t hurt your gum.

Clean all your teeth turn by turn by holding the floss against them and gently rubbing them in repeatedly up and down motions. Remember to clean your back molars too.

Once you have finished flossing dispose it off properly.

Benefits of flossing:

Flossing is very important for our oral care in fact it is an integral part of your oral care. There are numerous benefits of flossing some of them are discussed below;

Removal of Plaque:

If you floss regularly the chances of having plaque are reduced. The importance of flossing can be understood easily as explained by a dental hygienist; flossing your teeth is just like washing a dirty cup both from inside and outside. It makes it clean from all sides, similarly if you just brush your teeth you are only cleaning the front and top of them the sides and downside near the gum line is not being cleaned as the brush can’t reach those parts. But if you floss your teeth you will clean them properly i.e. from all sides. By using floss you can clean the sides between your teeth and the areas above your gum line. These are the most ideal places for germs and plaque to grow as this area is beyond the reach of your tooth brush. So, if you floss your teeth regularly you can surely avoid plaque and other such periodontal gum diseases.

Prevents Bleeding Gums:

Bleeding gums are usually a sign of gingivitis a periodontal disease of gums. If you floss regularly, you clean the area above your gum line which is more prone to gingivitis. Flossing your teeth regularly prevents gum diseases and bad breath too. An amazing benefit of flossing is that it not only keeps your gums safe but it can also help in reversing periodontal gum diseases like gingivitis because through proper oral care we can prevent the growth of bacteria around our gums and eventually curing it.

Helps in keeping the body healthy:

Gums and teeth problems are an indication that something in your body is not working right. Gum diseases are indirectly related to other severe diseases in one way or another. Diseases like heart diseases, stroke, diabetes, respiratory diseases and rheumatoid arthritis, have all been linked to gum diseases. Researchers are showing more evidence between the connections of periodontal diseases and increasing heart problems. It is a common perception that mouth infections can cause the increase of inflammatory substances in the blood just like infections in other parts of the body do. This can lead to a risk of causing blood clots which can slow down the flow of blood to the heart thus creating a risk of heart attack.

According to another theory the physicians believe that the oral infections can directly enter your bloodstream and from there cardiovascular muscles causing damage. By regularly flossing you are not only keeping your mouth healthy but in fact you are also preventing other serious illnesses. In addition to this another benefit of flossing is that you can directly examine your mouth i.e. teeth and gums and if there is any abnormality in it; like redness or swelling of gums, you can instantly seek help from the concerned medical person.

Flossing saves money:

We all know that going to a dentist can be really expensive especially nowadays with the rising prices of health care; it’s going to be a huge burden on your pockets. So, one of the best and most effective way is to make it your habit to brush your teeth twice and floss them at least once a day. They’re the most effective and cheapest way of preventing dental and oral problems. As flossing completes 40% of the work required to be performed by dental hygienists.

Stronger teeth:

Flossing helps in keeping your teeth stronger and healthy. Only brushing your teeth regularly doesn’t help in preventing oral and gum problems, as by only brushing your teeth you can’t clean your teeth completely. The flossing aids in providing interdental cleaning as it help in removing the food debris between the teeth which cannot be removed by brushing alone. As a result the chances of tooth decay, bad breath and gum diseases are reduced.

Prevents halitosis:

Flossing helps in preventing halitosis or bad breath. As by flossing regularly you are not only cleaning your teeth but the spaces in between of your teeth as well so technically there are very rare chances of bacterial growth which can lead to halitosis or bad breath. The main cause of halitosis according to dental experts is the bacteria that grows in between your teeth or in the cavities of your teeth, this bacteria is breed by the decaying food debris in between your teeth if it’s not cleaned properly. So, the most effective solution for bad breath is brushing for two minutes twice a day along with flossing once a day at least and if it still exists you should seek some expert help.