A couple of people complain that they find flossing the teeth a bit difficult and time consuming. If you happen to be in this category, maybe you are getting the procedure all wrong. Basically there are two types of floss, the floss pick and the floss. The difference in the floss pick is that the pick holds the floss instead of the fingers in the case of the traditional floss.
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| Floss Pick |
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| Floss |
Flossing not only gets rid of food particles stuck in between the teeth, it also prevents gum disease, mouth odour and tooth decay by getting rid of plaque that forms in areas not easily accessible to the toothbrush.
Below is a step by step procedure on how to floss effectively:
Step 1: Wash your hands and cut off about 45-60cm of floss.
Step 2: Wrap the ends of the floss around your middle fingers (both on the left and right hand) a couple of times till firm.
Step 3: Hold the floss with the thumb and index finger/ forefinger (both hands).
Step 4: Slide the floss gently between your teeth taking care not to push too hard into the gums to avoid injury.
Step 5: Curve the floss into a ‘C shape’ against the tooth when it reaches the gum and move the floss up and down gently cleaning the tooth surface. Also move the floss back and forth. Do the same thing for the surface of the tooth next to the one you just cleaned. When you are done, gently slide the floss out.
Step 6: Repeat this process for all other teeth present in the mouth. Once the floss becomes weak, release new floss from the strand wrapped around your middle finger and continue.
Step 7: Rinse out with water or mouth wash and don’t forget to discard the floss.
If using a floss pick, just gently slide the floss between your teeth and move the floss up and down gently against the tooth surface and back and forth. Repeat this procedure with other teeth and don’t forget to rinse out and discard the floss.
To get the most out of flossing, be sure to floss daily. Don’t worry if it is clumsy at first, it will get better as practice makes perfect.
Photo credit: Inquisitr, drTungs