Dental floss is one of the indispensable products for oral care and hygiene. However, since its use is neglected by many and most people do not develop the habit of use, oral hygiene cannot be fully achieved. In order to protect your oral health, you can find how you should use dental floss and the benefits of using dental floss in our article.
What is Dental Floss?
Dental floss can be defined as the apparatus that reaches the parts that the toothbrush cannot reach and provides cleaning of the food residues between the teeth. It plays an important role in maintaining oral and dental health and preventing caries. For this reason, the habit of using dental floss every day should be gained.
What are the Types of Dental Floss?
Today, there are 2 types according to its production.
- Nylon dental floss: This type of dental floss is strengthened with aromas and various essences, offering different scents and alternatives. However, since the friction coefficient is lower, wear and breakage problems are more common in tight teeth. Therefore, it is not suitable for people with tight teeth.
- PTFE floss: They are the most preferred floss.
There are 2 types of dental floss according to their design:
- Rolled dental floss: These are dental floss, which do not have any toothpick apparatus, and consist of only thread.
- Toothpick floss: They are easier to use than roll floss, but they should be used carefully in terms of gingival sensitivity.
How To Use Dental Floss?
Its use varies according to the mouth structure and the use of the person. However, generally 35-40 cm rope is sufficient.
Place the floss between the two teeth by stretching it between your middle fingers and with the help of your thumbs. Run the floss in an up-and-down and inside-out motion.
The bottom parts of the gums must be descended and food residues must be cleaned. However, care should be taken not to damage the gums while cleaning the bottoms of the gums.
Using toothpick floss is much simpler than using roll floss. With the help of the plastic body, cleaning between the teeth can be achieved in detail by holding the body.
When Should Floss Be Used?
Dental floss should be started to be used from childhood, when the teeth begin to fit properly. Dental floss should be used at least once a day, since only brushing is not enough to provide complete oral hygiene.
Flossing before brushing always gives the best results. Because after cleaning the teeth with dental floss, the dirt left in the mouth is removed with the help of a toothbrush. Therefore, it is best to use it before brushing your teeth and brush your teeth afterwards.
It can be used at any time of the day. However, flossing before going to bed at night prevents you from waking up with an unpleasant odor in the morning. For this reason, you may prefer to use dental floss before going to bed at night.
What Are the Benefits of Regular Use of Dental Floss?
- It provides an effective cleaning by easily reaching between the teeth.
- It ensures the removal of food wastes that remain between the teeth and cause odor from the mouth. In this way, it prevents bad breath.
- Using dental floss makes the gums healthier. Therefore, if there is no other reason, it prevents gum bleeding.
- It prevents the formation of plaque, which is a colorless and sticky film that accumulates around or between the teeth, along the gum line.
- Plaques on tooth enamel cause caries formation. Considering the effect of dental floss to prevent plaque formation, we can say that it also reduces the risk of caries. At the same time, it effectively cleans the food residues between the teeth and reduces the risk of caries.
