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Most of us
brush our teeth regularly. But what about flossing?
That's another story. Only half of all Americans floss
every day, according to an American Dental Association
2003 survey.
Daily flossing is
a habit everyone should develop.
Brushing is
great for removing plaque (a sticky mixture of bacteria,
food and debris) from the surface of your teeth. The
problem is, toothbrush bristles can't reach between your
teeth. Dental floss is the best way to clean those
impossible-to-brush areas.
What happens if
you don't floss? You're more prone to cavities and bad
breath. Food particles caught between your teeth
provide food for bacteria, which produce decay-causing
acid and foul-smelling odors.
If that's not
enough, plaque on the teeth can harden into tartar.
Bacteria within the tartar can build up, causing gums to
become inflamed (gingivitis). Untreated gingivitis can
lead to periodontal disease, in which the soft and hard
tissue surrounding teeth become inflamed and infected.
Periodontal disease is a major cause of tooth loss in
adults, and has been associated with other problems such
as heart disease, stroke and preterm labor.
How to Floss
The American
Dental Association (ADA) recommends flossing once a day
for two to three minutes.
To get started:
- Break off
about 18 inches of floss and wind some around one of
your middle fingers.
- Wind the
rest around the middle finger of your other hand.
- Grasp the
floss with the thumb and forefinger of each hand,
leaving about an inch of floss between the two hands.
- Pull the
floss taught and use a gentle sawing motion to insert
it between the two teeth.
- When the
floss reaches the tip of the triangular gum flap,
curve the floss into a "C" shape against one of the
teeth.
- Slide the
floss gently into the space between the teeth and gum
until you feel resistance.
- Holding the
floss tightly against the tooth, scrape up and down
five or six times along the side of the tooth.
- Without
removing the floss, curve it around the adjacent tooth
and scrape that one, too.
- Repeat steps
4-8 on the rest of your teeth.
When the floss
becomes frayed or soiled, a turn of each middle finger
brings out a fresh section of floss.
The ADA has an
excellent how-to online flossing demonstration. To view
it, go to
www.ada.org/public/games/animation/interface.asp.
Then click the "Flossing" tab. |
