- Break off about 18 inches of floss and wind most of it around one of your middle fingers. Wind the remaining floss around the same finger of the opposite hand. This finger will take up the floss as it becomes dirty. Hold the floss tightly between your thumbs and forefingers.
- Guide the floss between your teeth using a gentle rubbing motion. Never snap the floss into the gums.
- When the floss reaches the gum line, curve it into a C shape against one tooth. Gently slide it into the space between the gum and the tooth.
- Hold the floss tightly against the tooth. Gently rub the side of the tooth, moving the floss away from the gum with up and down motions.
- Repeat this method on the rest of your teeth.
- Don’t forget the back side of your last tooth.
If you have fixed bridgework, braces or other dental work which connects adjacent teeth, cleaning under and around it with a floss threader can prevent tooth decay and gum disease. While their use may seem intuitive, many people are unaware that plaque accumulates under bridge connectors, around orthodontic brackets, etc. This animation describes use of a floss threader to avoid recurrent caries around fixed bridge retainer margins, and the resulting failure of expensive dental work.
When you have braces, it is incredibly important that you keep you teeth clean. The bands or bonded brackets on braces create small nooks and crannies where food and plaque can hide. If plaque is allowed to remain on the teeth for a long time, it can increase the likelihood of tooth decay. Dental aids can play an important role in cleaning those hard-to-reach areas, and your diligence in daily cleaning is really the key to good oral health. This video demonstrates the use of a dental aid called "Superfloss".
We would be glad to show you how to Brush and Floss. We want to prevent disease before it starts. Call today to schedule your dental checkup, consultation, or second-opinion visit. We want to give you a reason to smile!
