Free Dental Directory of Diseases, Aliments and Solutions

Most cavities and periodontal disease begin between the teeth.  Although brushing is extremely important, the bristles of your brush simply can not reach between the teeth.  To maintain healthy gums and teeth, the plaque must be removed from between your teeth at least once a day.  Dental floss is the recommended procedure for this removal.  

The flossing procedure that is most effective is to use a length of floss that is approximately 18 inches long.   Wind it around the middle fingers of each hand, leaving approximately five inches between your hands.  Pinch the floss between your thumbs and index fingers and leave about one inch in between to work with.  Gently guide the floss down between the teeth, using a sawing motion.

If your teeth are too tight to floss, or if the floss catches or tears, let your dentist know about it. These are problems that need to be fixed.

Pull the floss tightly into a C shape around the side of the tooth and slide it beneath the gumline.  Clean the surface of the tooth by using an up and down motion, not side to side, until the surface is clean.

When all the plaque has been removed, the floss will squeak as it rubs against your teeth.  Pull the floss around the next tooth and repeat the process. Wind the floss to a fresh section and gradually work your way around your mouth, cleaning both sides of every tooth.

If you have problems reaching some areas, you might want to use a floss fork.  In the event your gums are infected, they will bleed when you floss.  This is also to be expected if you are just beginning to floss.  After a week or so of regular flossing the bleeding should go away.

Brushing your teeth is only half of good dental hygiene practice.  The other half is accomplished with proper flossing techniques.  Most cavities and periodontal disease start between the teeth where your tooth brush simply can not reach.  

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