The Importance Of Flossing

dental care and oral care

We all know that regularly cleaning our teeth is important for our oral hygiene and the care of our teeth. All, or most of us, we hope, regularly brush our teeth in the morning and evening. But there is one aspect of teeth cleaning that many of us forget and that is flossing.


Flossing your teeth, just like brushing, has great benefits for maintaining that amazing smile. But why is brushing alone not enough?  Ortodental will answer that question for you.

Why flossing is important?

Regularly brushing your teeth is the first step of oral hygiene, however, your standard toothbrush cannot reach those difficult gaps between your tooth and remove harmful bacteria that can reside there.

Flossing your teeth at least once daily can help improve your oral hygiene by as much as 40%. Flossing helps remove trapped food particle’s along with other harmful bacteria from your mouth.

Removing these bad bacteria can reduce the chances of infections, gum disease and bad breath etc.

When should you floss?

It is recommended that you floss once per day. The time when you floss is not as important as remembering to floss. Flossing just before or just after you brush your tooth at night is probably the best time to floss. Why is this?

By flossing at night, you will be able to remove any food particles and debris that has gathered throughout the day, you will be providing a more thorough clean that will benefit your mouth and gums throughout the night.

At Orthodental, we suggest flossing before you brush your teeth. You will be able to provide more protection to your teeth when using fluoride-based toothpaste.

How to floss correctly.

Though it may seem like a simple process; many do not get the full benefits of flossing as they do it incorrectly.

  1. Break off a piece of floss about one foot long and wrap this between two opposing fingers. This will, give it strength and durability.
  2. Place the floss between the gaps in your teeth running the floss vertically up and down between each tooth removing any debris.
  3. Then making a C-shape or reverse C-shape clean between the gums and teeth. Do not add too much pressure as this can damage the gums.
  4. Repeats steps one and two between each tooth.
  5. Rinse your mouth out with water
  6. Brush your teeth using your favourite toothpaste.

If your gums are tender or bleed this may be the sign of an infection and it may require a visit to Orthodental. A small amount of blood is not uncommon, but if it persists then call into the clinic.

When should you start flossing?

If flossing is not part of your oral hygiene routine, you may be wondering the best time to start? Well, the best time to start right now. Dental floss is extremely affordable and will be worth it when saving on the costs of dental visits.

It may take a little time but developing further dental care habits will do wonders for your dental hygiene.

What have we learned today?