Read More:
For some people remembering to keep up with flossing can be a struggle. For others, the steps involved can be awkward, uncomfortable, or even impossible. Brushing is more manageable, and most dental patients make a point of maintaining a good routine. Unfortunately, this doesn’t address the problems that only flossing can correct. Acknowledging this struggle, alternatives to traditional flossing have been developed and made available. Using these, anyone can keep up with a flossing routine and preserve their oral health.
How Flossing Regularly Helps Prevent Tooth Decay:
You’ve eaten, done the dishes, and brushed your teeth. You can now rest easy that the meal is complete and your teeth are safe, right? Unfortunately not. Between your teeth can be found debris from the meals you’ve eaten today and since the last time you brushed. Within these protected spaces, bacteria can thrive and continue to do their destructive work. The acids they produce will weaken the enamel there, safe from being brushed away. Over time this will result in cavities that are invisible to the naked eye. Flossing is the only method available that will eliminate this debris and prevent bacterial damage to your teeth.
To ensure that you protect your teeth, you’ll need to keep up with a flossing routine at least once a day. Combined with twice a day brushing, this can go a long way towards eliminating decay. Without including flossing in your dental hygiene, you’ll be leaving food particles between your teeth. Over time, decay between your teeth becomes inevitable.
Some signs that you should add flossing to your practice include:
- Halitosis, or bad breath
- Tender, swollen gums
- Tooth decay happening between your teeth
- Dental sensitivity to temperature
The truth is that anyone who has teeth should floss regularly. If you’re not able to floss using the standard method, that’s ok. We’ll introduce you to some alternatives that can help.
Flossing Alternatives:
When you floss doesn’t matter, so long as it happens at least once a day. We recognize that wrapping the floss around your fingers and digging in the recesses of your mouth can be challenging. Even so, you’re inviting dental disaster if you don’t find a way to floss. Consider the following options:
- Interdental Brush: Specifically designed to address food debris between your teeth, this form of brush is often easier to use.
- Water Flossing: An innovative development that applies water pressure to eliminate debris between your teeth. This water-based tool is an excellent choice for those with limited hand dexterity.
- Pre-Threaded Floss: This tool is an excellent way to eliminate the awkwardness of handling dental floss. Using a convenient plastic handle with a piece of floss pre-threaded, you can reach every tooth.
Still, looking for options that will help make flossing less of a chore? Reach out to your dentist to get advice. With their extensive experience, dental knowledge, and long history of patients, they’ll have encountered every kind of concern. This conversation will allow them to suggest options you may not have considered and ensure that you’re getting the best possible dental care.
