With all of the wonders of modern man available to you there isno better way to clean the sides of your teeth than DENTALFLOSS. Inexpensive, readily available and easy to use.A modern wonder, maybe not. But it is and has always been an excellenttool in the fight against dental decay and periodontal disease.There are many types of dental floss available in your local drugstore.Please speak with our hygienist regarding the best floss for yourparticular set of dental needs.
Here's How To Floss
You should floss under both sidesof each flap of gum tissue between your teeth. The following techniquehas proven to be very effective: Break off about 18 inches offloss and wind a good bit of it around one of your middle fingers.Wind the rest around the middle finger of the other hand. Graspthe floss with the thumb and forefinger of each hand, leavingabout an inch of floss between the two hands to work with.
Pull the floss taut and use a gentle sawing motion to insert itbetween the two teeth. When the floss reaches the tip of the triangulargum flap, curve the floss into a C Shape against one of the teeth.Then slide the floss gently into the space between the tooth andthe gum until you feel resistance. Holding the floss tightly againstthe tooth, scrape up and down five or six times along the sideof the tooth. Without removing the floss, curve it around theadjacent tooth and scrape that one too. Repeat on the rest ofyour teeth. Don't forget the far sides of your rear teeth. Whenthe floss becomes frayed or soiled, a turn of each middle fingerbrings out a fresh section of floss. After flossing, rinse vigorouslywith water.
Flossing Problems
If you don't like manipulating floss, try one of the commercialfloss holders. They have limited flexibility, however, and youmust use them with care to avoid injuring the gum. You may havetrouble working with the floss between certain teeth, or the flossmay consistently break or tear in certain areas. Several causesare possible, including calculus buildup, or improperly installedfillings. Please let us know if this problem occurs. Flossingbetween bridges requires additional instruction and the use offloss threaders. Alternatives to floss includes such things asStimudentsR, Perio-AidsR or Plac-piksR. Please discuss these toolswith your dentist or hygienist before using them. None of these are as good as flossin tight areas between teeth.