Flossing is one of the dental hygiene techniques you can use at home to promote clean teeth and good oral health. Why most people avoid flossing is because they don’t know how to actually floss.
How to Floss:
- Wind the ends around your middle fingers. Hold the floss tight, pinching each side with your thumbs and index fingers. leave a couple of inches free in the middle.
- Use your index fingers to guide the floss toward your gum line. Bring it down between the teeth. Hold the floss in a “C”- shape around the tooth, and move it up and down along the side.
- Use a clean portion of the floss to clean around and in-between each tooth.
Once you have the technique down you will find it’s easy to do on a daily basis. Did you know after doing something for three days in a row it becomes a habit? So let this be a good habit for you to start.
There are many different flavors of floss you can choose from and also the option of waxed or unwaxed floss. You may ask yourself “How do I decide which one to get?” If the floss you have seems to be getting stuck between your teeth then you need to switch to a waxed floss to make flossing easier. The flavor is up to you! They also make flossing helpers which can help people with dexterity issues.
Next time you go in for your dental cleaning make sure you ask your hygienist how to floss your teeth and they will show you the right technique and may have suggestions in helping you choose a floss that will work best for you.