Floss Your Way To Good Oral Health By Janet Martin At Isnare.com Ezine Articles

Who would think that a simple piece of thread would emerge as an important aid in the fight against cavities and gum disease? As far-fetched as it sounds, that’s exactly what happened to dental floss – a strong thread that is passed between teeth to loosen and remove food debris wedged between them.

Next to brushing, flossing is a great way to clean your teeth and gums. It’s readily available, easy to use, and best of all, it’s cheap! And it doesn’t matter whether you use waxed or unwaxed floss. They both produce the same benefits as long as you do it twice a day.

The magic of flossing is easily explained: it complements brushing since it cleans between the teeth and under the gums. Dentists say that no matter how often you brush your teeth, your toothbrush won’t reach the spaces between the teeth. These are the areas where food gets stuck and oral bacteria may reproduce leading to a host of problems later. With flossing, you can prevent that from happening.

The bad news is that not everyone flosses and the few who do don’t do it properly. Dental researchers say only two percent to 10 percent of people floss regularly and effectively. Most people can’t or won’t floss daily.

For the benefit of readers, here is a short guide to the art of flossing:

1) Start with 18 to 24 inches of floss, and wind most of it around the middle or index finger on one hand (whichever finger is the most comfortable for you).

2) Wrap the rest of the floss around the same finger on the other hand. Think of the other finger as the take-up spool for the used floss. Don’t scrimp. Floss is cheap and if you don’t use enough, you’re just reintroducing the bacteria to another spot when you don’t use a clean section of floss for each tooth.

3) Hold the floss tightly with your thumbs and forefingers, leaving about an inch of floss between them. The floss should be taut.

4) Use a gentle “sawing” kind of motion as you pull the floss between the teeth. Be careful not to snap it into the tender gum tissue.

5) When you’ve reached the gum line, curve the floss into a “C” shape to fit snugly around the tooth, and slide it into the space between the gums and tooth gently.

6) Bring the floss out from the gum and scrape the side of the tooth. Remember, you’re following the shape of the tooth to remove the plaque from that side. After you pull it out, use a clean section of floss to clean the tooth on the other side of that space.

7) Be sure to clean the back side of the last tooth on each side.

For good oral health, brush after meals and visit a dentist regularly. This will prevent common tooth problems that can affect your appearance and make you look old and ugly.

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