After you slide the floss between your teeth, you should bend it around the tooth and let it plunge beneath the gum line (in a perfect world, it should plunge around 2 – 3 millimeters down).
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.
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.
Floss regularly.
To properly floss, break off about 12 to 18 inches of floss and wrap both ends around your fingers. Gently move the floss up and down the sides of each tooth to remove plaque, bacteria, and food debris.
Hold the floss tautly between your thumbs and index fingers, sliding it gently up and down between your teeth. To get beneath the gum line, gently curve the floss around the base of each tooth. To prevent cutting or bruising your gums, do not snap or force the floss.
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.
Common flossing mistakes to avoid
Flossing straight up and down without moving along your gum line. Stopping when you notice a bit of blood. Reusing the same part of the floss for all of your teeth. Flossing only occasionally, versus at least once a day.
Sawing back and forth creates lots of friction between the floss and the gums, and eventually, the gum gives in and the floss starts inflicting injury to the gums. As a result, you suffer bleeding gums and an infection to the gums if you take things a notch higher with the sawing back and forth.
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.
Flossing first can provide better results, but overall, if you're brushing and flossing daily, you're doing a great job with your oral health, regardless of which order you choose. However, it's still important to use mouthwash last, as the product won't work as well if rinsed away during subsequent oral hygiene steps.
Never put physical pressure on your gums with the floss. There is no need to pull the floss at the level of your gum tissue. If your gums aren't healthy, they may bleed, or you can experience pain.
The Consequences of Flossing Incorrectly
You can damage your gums in a number of ways, such as: Flossing Too Quickly – It takes time to floss between each tooth, and flossing too quickly can cause trauma to the gum tissue and leads to missed spots.
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.
Take a wooden toothpick and gently slide it between your teeth where the object is lodged. Push firmly but slowly! If you let it sit there for a few seconds, it will create a small space so you can dislodge the item. Afterward, you can floss again and rinse your mouth with warm water to accelerate the process.
Brush your teeth and crown gently twice a day, for two minutes. Floss at least once daily, and be sure to slide the floss around the sides of your teeth and crown (making a C-shape) rather than snapping floss in between your dentitions and restorations – snapping and pulling can dislodge your crown.
The simple answer is, no. If your gums are damaged by, for example periodontitis, the most severe form of gum disease, it's not possible for receding gums to grow back. However, even though receding gums can't be reversed there are treatments that can help to stop the problem from getting worse.
When you brush your teeth, you feel clean afterward, while with flossing, you may not feel the clean as noticeably. After flossing every day for two weeks, you will notice a difference between flossing and not flossing, even after missing just one day.
It's always best to floss when you're not in a rush or when you're too tired to do it well. If you find you're exhausted at the end of the day, then it's a good idea to floss first thing in the morning or after lunch. Alternatively, if you like to go to bed with a clean mouth then floss before your nightly brush.
Flossing does 40% of the work in removing sticky bacteria, or plaque, from your teeth. Every tooth has five surfaces and when we don't floss, we are immediately missing two of these surfaces. Plaque build-up can lead to swollen gums, tooth decay, and cavities, or gum disease.
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.
Your gums tell the story
If, for example, you don't usually floss, but you do right before your dental appointment, we will likely be able to see indications. The floss injures irritated gums. If you floss sometimes, but not regularly, you'll probably have pockets of plaque building up under your gum line.
Bleeding Gums
Your gums show the truth when it comes to flossing. If they begin to bleed or become swollen once your dentist starts flossing, they'll know immediately that it has been a while since the last time you've flossed.
If your gums are red and irritated, painful, and/or receding, these are all indicators that you might be flossing incorrectly. Leaving the problem unaddressed can lead to a whole host of problems such as loosening teeth. Luckily, this is easy to fix through simply asking your dentist about proper flossing techniques.