7 Myths of Dental Floss You Should Stop Believing

How to Use Dental Floss Effectively

For decades, people thought that they should use dental floss after every brushing; even though it is beneficial for your oral health, flossing before you brush is way better for your teeth.

Why? 

Because it is much more useful to remove bacteria, plaque accumulation, tartar, and other things like food particles. 

Flossing after brushing is also helpful, but when you run the risk of leaving many leftover bacteria that can develop cavities over, under, or between your teeth. So you might want to think twice before doing it this way.

It would be best to implement this into your daily oral health care routine, so get to flossing. Doing it before brushing will reduce the chances of swallowing plaque. That’s correct, many people do not realize it, but they can swallow plaque and transfer it to other inner areas and potentially form bacteria inside the body. 

It is crucial to know that bacteria contain other substances that can multiply and cause infection, not just your teeth. So try following strict oral hygiene routines to obtain better results and maintain a bright smile. 

Debunking Dental Floss Myths 

Most people don’t take the proper time to floss before brushing. But now, you will understand why most of the positive or negative things you thought you knew about flossing may end up being myths. 

1. Some consider flossing a hassle, maybe even a difficult task, but everyone has their own way of doing things. However, flossing shouldn’t be difficult. It only takes a few swipes between your teeth to remove food or plaque. If traditional dental floss isn’t easy for you to maneuver, try using interdental cleaners or floss picks.
2. Many people think there isn’t a process behind flossing, they may think it’s just doing a back and forth motion, but that is not the case. The right way is to try sliding the dental floss up and down, then gently floss around the teeth’ wider surface to clean them thoroughly.
3. If you bleed after flossing and you think you should probably stop, well, you shouldn’t. Instead, continue flossing because bleeding between your teeth is a helpful indicator that allows you to know that you may be at risk of developing some form of gum disease. And if you do, then it’s even more vital that you continue to floss to keep your gums and teeth in the best shape possible.
4. Flossing is a painful process, if you don’t regularly brush, it may be painful, but you should not stop just because it hurts. Instead, try flossing a bit slower, and the pain should subside after a few sessions. 
5. Adults think that children shouldn’t floss, but children develop cavities just like everyone else; dentists recommend they floss early to make it a habit. 
6. Some think that flossing is vital after brushing; even though dentists do recommend it, dentists also recommend flossing at least once a day, whenever you like, but the main goal is flossing. 
7. The more you wait to floss between your teeth, the more plaque and tartar will accumulate; even if you don’t have food between your teeth, you should still try to floss.

So now you know some truths about flossing that can come in handy. Even though flossing may not seem necessary, you should try to implement it into your daily dental routine. You will be glad that you add this small task into your regular oral hygiene habit and notice a difference in your mouth’s cleanliness. 

Why Do We Use Dental Floss?

Many people consider flossing an afterthought, but you use your mouth every single day. So taking good care of your teeth and practicing dental care habits daily should always be at the very top of your list of priorities. Dental floss removes any leftover debris between your teeth that your toothbrush may not be able to reach. 

Taking care of your mouth doesn’t mean that you should only brush and floss, but regularly going to the dentist for a dental check-up can also help us maintain a bright smile. You should also use mouthwash and take your time after every brushing session to visually check your teeth’ appearance to make sure there isn’t anything out of the ordinary. 

When you go to the dental office, your dentist doesn’t just look for cavities or plaque accumulation. Instead, they will also be looking outside of the box for a more severe health risk or underlying condition that can potentially affect your teeth, like the following:

• Swelling
• Redness
• Bumps
• Bad breath

These are all early signs of a health risk that may be on the horizon, and your dentist will be able to treat it beforehand. Flossing can reduce the accumulation of harmful bacteria between your teeth and can prevent serious dental problems like:

• Kidney disease
• Acid reflux disease
• Autoimmune diseases
• Anemia
• Diabetes
• Oral cancer 

Unbelievable, right? Those issues can indicate numerous health conditions, but without your routine dental exam, you won’t be sure if you may be able to intervene just in time before it gets worse. Your oral health is crucial for your overall well being so, other reasons to never skip flossing are the following:

• Flossing cleans out all the bacteria that develop cavities
• Are you afraid of flossing because you bleed? Well, routinely flossing can indeed eliminate the bleeding if the bacteria around your teeth and gums are kept at a minimum 
• Flossing takes up about half the work to remove the bacteria from your mouth, so if you only brush, that will not be enough

Remember that taking care of your teeth is up to you. Try using just a few minutes of your day to brush and floss because it can do wonders for your health, so make flossing a part of your oral health routine every day.