Flossing keeps teeth and gums healthy. Learn how to floss from your Natick, MA dentist, Dr. Christina Papageorgiou.
Natick, MA dentist, Dr. Christina Papageorgiou, delivers the quality dental services you and your family deserve. While excellent preventive, restorative and cosmetic dentistry keeps teeth and gums looking and feeling their best, dental health flourishes with good at-home care. A healthy diet and daily flossing and brushing preserve enamel and keep gums free of bacteria-filled plaque.
Floss the proper way
Floss correctly and carefully twice a day for maximum oral health benefit says the American Dental Association. Flossing prevents cavities and gum disease–a leading cause of tooth loss in American adults. Your Natick, MA dentist, Dr. Christina Papageorgiou agrees.
Dr. Papageorgiou asks patients to take their time when brushing and flossing to maximize plaque removal. Two minutes per session is good for brushing and at least that amount of time for flossing, too. The majority of people floss at bedtime.
Select an ADA-approved flossing product. They come in different varieties:
- plain
- waxed
- flavored
- Y-shaped flossers
- floss threaders
- thick
- thin
The point is to pick one kind of flossing product, and use it consistently. Floss with a clean piece of material each time. Individuals with braces like to use water flosser devices, interproximal brushes (resembling tiny bottle brushes) and stiff floss threaders to get in tight spaces and around brackets and wires.
Here are the steps to good flossing:
- Unwind 18 inches of floss from the dispenser, and wind each loose end around the index or middle fingers of each hand.
- Using the thumb and forefinger, pull the floss tight, leaving an inch or 2 of floss free.
- Carefully push the taut floss between 2 teeth. Pull it tight against one tooth surface, making a C shape, and carefully glide the material up and down. Clean the gum line, but be very gentle. Expect some tenderness and minor bleeding if you are new to flossing.
- Floss in all the interdental spaces, and don’t forget to clean behind the back molars.
- Wind the used floss around your fingers as you go around your mouth.
- Rinse your mouth with warm water.
Everyone should floss
Dr. Papageorgiou recommends that everyone floss–from children to senior adults. Very young children need mom or dad to help as little hands may not manipulate the floss correctly. Additionally, people with restorations such as crowns, bridges and dental implants should brush and floss those areas with extra care as they tend to collect food particles and plaque.
Brush up on your flossing
Your Natick, Ma dentists, Christina Papageorgiou DDS and her associate, Dr. Medha Singh, welcome questions about oral hygiene practices, including flossing. They will be happy to show you proper techniques and to recommend products best for your oral health needs. Contact the team at Papageorgiou Dental Associates to schedule your regular appointment. If this is your first time calling, ask about our new patient specials.