None of us really enjoy flossing, but people with the best oral hygiene understand the importance and do it despite their inner protests. Unfortunately, many people avoid flossing altogether, and there are three main reasons that they are skipping this extremely important dental hygiene activity.
They Experience Pain or Bleeding
Many people are under the impression that if it hurts to floss, or if you see blood, you should stop. This is the exact opposite of what you should do, as these are signs that you aren’t flossing enough. You could even have the early stages of gum disease, so it is important that you get into a better habit of flossing. Eventually, the bleeding and discomfort will subside.
They Don’t Know How to Floss Correctly
The fact of the matter is that if you don’t know how to floss your teeth properly, it is going to be uncomfortable. The solution isn’t to stop flossing. Instead, follow the ADA’s recommendations to floss more successfully, including using 18 inches of floss to clean around each tooth in a U pattern. Be sure to press gently in order to glide the floss up and down between each of your teeth.
They Think it is Pointless
Some people feel that as long as they are brushing their teeth twice a day that they don’t need to floss. While brushing is certainly important for good oral hygiene, your toothbrush won’t access the spaces in between your teeth. These spaces are hot spots for cavity formation, so it is crucial that you are getting the floss in there and getting the area cleaned out.
Failure to do so could result in tooth decay or gum disease, and other health problems like heart disease and stroke could also occur further down the road.
If you need additional guidance on flossing and caring for your teeth properly, be sure to contact our office.