Flossing is very important to good dental health, but not everyone knows the best way to floss. There are multiple different methods to floss your teeth, but not all methods clear away the same amount of plaque. It doesn’t matter how you may floss. What does matter is that you are eliminating the greatest amount of plaque possible. Watch the video below to see our hygienists, Shay and Christine, demonstrate proper flossing techniques to remove the greatest amount of plaque.

 

 

Hi. It’s Shay and Christine, your dental hygienists here at Valley of the Sun Dentistry. Today we want to talk to you about the importance of flossing and proper flossing techniques. We highly recommend that you floss every day to disrupt the bacteria in between your teeth and underneath the gum line. These are areas where your toothbrush does not reach.

Flossing Technique

When you floss, you want to make sure you are using a long enough piece; arm-length is a good measurement. What you will do with the floss then is wrap it around your middle finger. You will do the same thing with the opposite hand. With your index finger and thumb, you are going to get a grip on the floss. When you start to floss, you want to make sure you see-saw the floss back and forth in between the teeth. Once you have gotten in between the teeth, you want to see the floss adapt against the tooth and below gum line. We recommend you do that about four to five times. You will do that same thing on the opposite side.

Bleeding While Flossing

It is important to know if you are not a regular flosser or you have not been consistent, you may notice some bleeding.  Bleeding anywhere from two to three weeks is normal and should subside with time.

If you have any other questions about the flossing technique that you saw here or other home-care questions, please let us know at your next cleaning appointment.

To schedule an appointment with one of our hygienists, REQUEST AN APPOINTMENT or call us during our office hours at 602-942-4260.