How to make floss the boss

How to make floss the boss

My flossing tips:

Teeth without braces

For teeth which don’t have braces attached, floss coated with wax or Teflon slides between teeth more effectively than uncoated floss. If you have larger spaces between your teeth or gum recession, a flat, wide dental tape will give better results. A thinner floss made of Gore-Tex is shred resistant, and works well getting between smaller spaces.

The disposable floss picks which look like catapults have handles to get to hard-to-reach-areas such as the back teeth. They’re quite good at working up and around the edge of the tooth.

Teeth with braces

Bridges and braces require a more skilful touch to get underneath the restoration or wires. A floss threader, which looks like a plastic sewing needle, works best. Or, a product called Super Floss has a stiff end so it  can be inserted between the teeth and a spongy side for cleaning.

Interproximal brushes, which clean between the teeth, are available in manual or power forms and I recommend them.

Power irrigators are a good choice if you are wanting to reduce bleeding, gum inflammation and plaque. The water streams cannot reach everywhere but are a good option for those with arthritic conditions.

Finally..

Do not worry about a bit of bleeding, this usually means the gums are inflamed because of a plaque build up which needs to be cleaned away. If the bleeding doesn’t stop after a few days, visit your dentist as this could be a sign of periodontal disease.

2023-03-07T15:53:53+00:00For Patients|
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