At the end of every visit, your dentist shows you how to brush and floss again. Your dentist's purpose isn't to demean you. They simply want to remind you of a few good techniques to better your oral hygiene over the next six months.
First, floss gently. You can be thorough and gentle at the same time. Don't apply excessive pressure against your gums. Lightly move around the fleshy gums, but don't be afraid to scrape against the tooth. Second, don't snap your floss between the two teeth. The intense pressure will hurt your gums.
Gently push the floss through the gap and avoid touching the gums. Third, gently move the floss under the gum line and floss up and down from there. Your goal is to clean the tooth, not cut into the gums. Don't push deeply into the gums. That said, if your gums start bleeding as you start to get back into flossing, that's normal. Your gums will get stronger as time goes on.
Playing sports is another great way to injure your teeth. Not only are professional athletes at risk, but perhaps more so are young energetic kids playing football on Thanksgiving morning who don't wear mouth guards.
Third, notice that they didn't say much about mouthwash. Some dentists like to include a little caveat about using it after brushing and flossing, but the truth is that it doesn't do nearly as much as the first two steps.
Don't pull plaque from another tooth and plaster it on a new one. Otherwise you end up transferring dirt and grime around the teeth, rather than cleaning them completely. Seventh, brush before you floss to remove as much plaque from the surface as possible. Don't make your flosses job harder by leaving plaque there that your brush could have removed before.
Some may say it's a good idea. Others will skip over the step because it's simply not as important as the first two. If you want to rinse, just swish around water after you floss. This can often clean out a lot of those straggling bacteria pieces.
If you're reading this blog then you've likely already lost your first set (baby teeth). Don't ruin your second set.
Floss every day and make sure you're doing it right. Your teeth will thank you throughout the years to come, even if you had to spend several tired evenings forcing yourself to brush and floss.
First, floss gently. You can be thorough and gentle at the same time. Don't apply excessive pressure against your gums. Lightly move around the fleshy gums, but don't be afraid to scrape against the tooth. Second, don't snap your floss between the two teeth. The intense pressure will hurt your gums.
Gently push the floss through the gap and avoid touching the gums. Third, gently move the floss under the gum line and floss up and down from there. Your goal is to clean the tooth, not cut into the gums. Don't push deeply into the gums. That said, if your gums start bleeding as you start to get back into flossing, that's normal. Your gums will get stronger as time goes on.
Playing sports is another great way to injure your teeth. Not only are professional athletes at risk, but perhaps more so are young energetic kids playing football on Thanksgiving morning who don't wear mouth guards.
Third, notice that they didn't say much about mouthwash. Some dentists like to include a little caveat about using it after brushing and flossing, but the truth is that it doesn't do nearly as much as the first two steps.
Don't pull plaque from another tooth and plaster it on a new one. Otherwise you end up transferring dirt and grime around the teeth, rather than cleaning them completely. Seventh, brush before you floss to remove as much plaque from the surface as possible. Don't make your flosses job harder by leaving plaque there that your brush could have removed before.
Some may say it's a good idea. Others will skip over the step because it's simply not as important as the first two. If you want to rinse, just swish around water after you floss. This can often clean out a lot of those straggling bacteria pieces.
If you're reading this blog then you've likely already lost your first set (baby teeth). Don't ruin your second set.
Floss every day and make sure you're doing it right. Your teeth will thank you throughout the years to come, even if you had to spend several tired evenings forcing yourself to brush and floss.
About the Author:
With multiple board certifications and more than fifty years of combined understanding, it is deeply rewarding to know that we as Oklahoma Dentists can offer real solutions to patients of all ages who suffer from TMJ symptoms, sleep apnea, headaches and all types of facial pain, and sleep disorders.
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