Making the effort to brush twice everyday is a great start. However, without flossing, your oral health will suffer. Use these techniques to make your dental routine complete!
- Wrap the floss around your middle fingers and use your pointer fingers to guide the floss where it needs to go.
- Keep the floss pulled tight, no slack between your hands.
- GENTLY use a sawing motion to get the floss between the teeth. BE CAREFUL not to snap the floss down this can damage your gums.
- Curve the floss in a C-shape around the tooth and then gently scrape the side of the tooth. Don't forget to slide the floss all the way down under the gums.
- Make sure to floss both sides of each tooth, and the back side of the last tooth.
- Establish a regular pattern for flossing so that you don't miss any teeth.
- If you have not been flossing regularly, your gums will probably bleed. Use a salt water rinse (8oz warm water and 1/2 teaspoon salt) after flossing to calm the gums.
- If you are still having trouble, talk to your dental hygienist. They can address your concerns and work with you to establish the best routine for your mouth.
