Effects of Flossing Too Hard With hard flossing over time, your gums will begin to recede. Once this happens, you'll start to experience tooth pain due to the areas of the tooth being exposed can have thin enamel. With extreme cases, the root of the tooth can be exposed causing even further tooth pain.
Flossing too hard or vigorously can eventually cause damage to the gum tissues and the enamel of the teeth. In short, if done incorrectly, flossing can actually harm your oral health.
Run the floss up and down the surface of the tooth, making sure you are going down to the gum line and then up to the highest contact point between the teeth.
#4 – Staying Above the Gum Line
Take complete advantage of the pliability and thin structure of floss by allowing it to ascend 2-3 millimeters below your gum line. This helps to remove bacteria that could contribute to gum disease and compromise your tooth health.
The biggest mistake most people make when flossing is to “snap” it up and down between their teeth. This aggressive method can actually harm the gums, rather than help them. What's better, is to wrap the floss snuggly around the tooth in a “C” shape.
Red Flags to Look Out for If You Are Not Flossing Properly
Patients will report of tender or painful gums, and they can bleed very easily even when brushing. Swelling is your body telling you that there's something wrong with your gums. Too much force during flossing may also cause some abrasions and cuts on the gums.
Your Gums Shouldn't Bleed When You Floss
It should be a gentle motion moving it up and down along the sides of each tooth. The aim is to clean the areas a toothbrush can miss, not just pulling the floss back and forth and irritating the gumline.
In most cases, the ache you feel is because your teeth are getting used to being properly cleaned. This is especially important in the case of gingivitis. If it isn't properly addressed in its early phases, it will evolve into periodontitis. Remember to do gentle movements and consult with your personal dentist.
Popping or snapping the floss between the teeth can damage the gums. If your teeth are so tightly crowded together that you regularly hear that popping sound, you may be inadvertently shredding your gum tissue. You can avoid this by trying a different type of floss.
Move the floss lightly back and forth to remove plaque. Make sure you are using a new section of the floss with each tooth, to ensure you aren't putting any removed plaque back into your mouth.
If tartar broke off while flossing, take it as a sign that you need to review your oral hygiene routine and schedule a checkup/cleaning with your dental office. Taking action right away can help prevent further deterioration of your gums, teeth and overall oral health.
"Tight teeth" are very closely spaced, leaving little room in between each of them. This can make flossing very difficult, painful, and frustrating with a lot of floss broken halfway through. Luckily, there are a few tricks that can ease the struggle that flossing with tight teeth tends to pose.
In cases where a person has dental problems, like gingivitis etc., floss can actually aggravate the problems. There have been cases where floss has pushed plaque and debris deeper into the gums or cavities and caused further damage. Floss is not a band-aid, it won't erase a cavity.
Some people floss with too much pressure, which can cause pain and bleeding along the gum line. Pain after flossing is also a sign that you're not flossing often enough. Be sure to floss every day in order to limit your pain. Of course, some people have great oral hygiene and still deal with pain after flossing.
Gum and Periodontal Disease
You might be experiencing localised pain in your gums due to gingivitis, i.e. infection of the gums. This phenomenon can be around one or two teeth only, which is why patients can experience pain around a single tooth or in one spot.
If the floss smells bad, it means that food particles, usually meat, or some other type of fibrous organic is getting trapped in the space between the teeth. It's been allowed to sit in this space for 24 plus hours, and is basically rotting. What you're smelling is a sulfur gas produced by this rotting process.
While it may be surprising, a study has found that flossing first followed by brushing with a fluoride toothpaste is more effective in removing interdental plaque than brushing first, flossing second. In addition, flossing before brushing results in greater fluoride retention between teeth.
By flossing regularly for three to ten days, your body will adapt to the irritation and the gum tissue will begin to toughen. After roughly a week, your gums should stop bleeding. If they continue to bleed even after you've been flossing for a while, consult your dentist for any potential gum problems you may have.
The stink of halitosis will linger on your dental floss after you have flossed your teeth. Take a whiff of your floss when you're done. If it smells, that means you have bad breath and the smell on the floss is coming out of your mouth. If the floss does not have a strong odor, it likely means you're in the clear.
They think they can pull a fast one on us, but here's a little secret: dentists can tell when you've been flossing and when you haven't. The way we can tell if you're not flossing is if your gums are bleeding. Although there are other, less common conditions that can make your gums bleed, gingivitis is the main cause.
Yes, the Dentist Knows
They'll be able to detect the plaque and inflammation between your teeth even if you brushed and flossed right before you went in for your appointment. If you haven't been flossing, prepare yourself for a friendly and concerned lecture from your dental care provider.
The damage plaque has done to your teeth and gums in the early stages of gum disease can be undone through consistent brushing and flossing twice a day. There are also antibacterial mouthwashes to help get rid of gingivitis-causing bacteria.
It is important to floss behind your back molars even though they are the last tooth. In addition, you should also be sure that you are flossing between every tooth, as well as along the sides of every tooth.