If you have gone a while without flossing, then you might have a buildup of plaque that causes pain between your teeth when flossing. This plaque can be difficult to bust through, causing pain and occasionally bleeding.
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.
The most common causes of dental pain are tooth decay and gum disease. Pain can also be caused by an infection of the tooth (abscess) or the gums. Or you may have pain from a broken or cracked tooth. Other causes of pain include infection and damage to a tooth from nervous grinding of your teeth.
Floss can get stuck for one of many reasons, such as: Your teeth are too close together. You have plaque built up in between your teeth that's trapping the floss. You have a restoration like a crown or filling that has started to break down and make the surfaces between your teeth uneven.
After two weeks of not flossing, plaque and tartar will start to accumulate between your teeth. Brushing cleans the surface but cannot go in between teeth – that's where flossing proves to be essential. Plaque and tartar create a sticky, bacteria-laden, acidic film.
Gum Disease
When you don't floss, plaque builds up between your teeth and gums. This can cause gingivitis, the early stage of gum disease. Gingivitis causes your gums to become red, swollen, irritated, and easily bleed when you brush.
Why Do Gums Hurt After Flossing? If your gums hurt after flossing specifically, then there might be an issue with how you floss. 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.
It's normal to experience bleeding and pain if you've just started flossing. If your teeth are sensitive because the protective outer enamel covering the tooth has worn down, you're going to feel some pain when you floss, too. But don't be deterred by some minor bleeding and discomfort.
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).
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.
The primary causes are abrasion due to aggressive brushing, tooth decay or gums recession. If tooth sensitivity is noted primarily when chewing, the cause could be a cracked tooth. A cracked tooth is vulnerable to infection and even nerve damage, and should be repaired with a crown or bonding to avoid breakage.
Gingivitis can cause dusky red, swollen, tender gums that bleed easily, especially when you brush your teeth. Healthy gums are firm and pale pink and fitted tightly around the teeth. Signs and symptoms of gingivitis include: Swollen or puffy gums.
If your gums hurt or bleed for more than a week, see your dentist so they can check you for signs of gum disease. If not treated, periodontitis can cause painful abscesses and lead to tooth loss. Gum disease has also been linked to heart disease, so it's very important to take care of your mouth.
Typically sore gums will go away with time, but if additional symptoms do appear, then it may be best to consult with a dentist. Knowing what the best ways are to relieve the gums of discomfort can be extremely beneficial.
Takeaways for Flossing Too Hard
If you floss too many times in a day it will hurt your gumline and expose your roots. Flossing too much and too hard also results in bleeding from pressing too hard on your gum line, and when you floss too hard you inadvertently dig underneath your gumline with the floss.
Even though flossing is an important tool to treat gum disease, it may make infected gums feel tender or even painful. This leads many patients to make a devastating mistake: avoiding the swollen, bleeding spot.
Ideally, patients will floss at least once a day. The best time to floss is at night before bed and before you've brushed your teeth. It's important to floss before brushing, as brushing will help displace any of the substances you dislodge from between your teeth from your mouth.
It is SO important to floss after every meal, if you don't, food particles can get stuck in-between your teeth for days which causes decay, plaque buildup, and bad breath.
Excessive plaque buildup can take a while, and a cavity will not appear after one missed brushing and flossing session. But that doesn't mean you should go ahead and skip a day when you don't feel like taking care of your teeth, as neglecting your routine can lead to oral health diseases and future issues.
Tooth Sensitivity or Pain – As the nerves that lead to a dying tooth begin to die away, they may become extra sensitive, causing you a tooth ache or sensitivity to hot or cold foods. You may experience pain while chewing at or around the site of the dead tooth.
You may discover tooth sensitivity while flossing, or even when you consume hot or cold beverages or foods. Regardless of how you discover the sensitivity, it occurs because too much of your tooth enamel has worn off and left your nerves exposed. A good dentist can help you fix this issue.
Tooth sensitivity occurs when the inner layer of your tooth, known as dentin, becomes exposed. This type of toothache occurs even when there's no cavity to find. Dentin usually becomes exposed when there's a wearing away of enamel or gum recession.