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Do you give a second thought to your dental flossing habits? Perhaps flossing is a task you perform occasionally when something is stuck between your teeth or when you’re feeling like it’s time to up your preventive care game. The good news is that as long as you are flossing once a day, you’re already doing a pretty good job. However, we also encourage you to consider a few ways to improve your flossing (and why flossing is important to your oral health), so you offer your smile optimal protection.

Why Floss?

Your toothbrush covers a lot of ground but it does not effectively remove all of the debris and plaque that accumulates between your teeth every day. By leaving these substances between teeth, the chance of tooth decay and gingivitis greatly increases. Fortunately, flossing between teeth will clear away bacteria (and extra places for them to hide), so your oral health remains in excellent condition.

Use Enough Floss

Make sure to begin with around 18 inches of floss, so you can clean between all of your teeth while moving on to a fresh portion of the dental floss. This will prevent accidentally transporting bacteria from one spot in your mouth to another.

Improve Your Method

The way you begin is key: Wrap the floss gently around your middle fingers. Then, you may use your thumbs and your index fingers to direct the floss throughout your mouth – this will help prevent numb fingertips. Slide the floss just beneath your gumline, wrap it gently around the side of one tooth making a “c-shape,” and then apply light pressure while you pull the floss up along the tooth. Repeat along the neighboring tooth. Then, repeat throughout your full smile to protect your oral health.

Riverside Dental Group and Dental Associate Offices Serves a Community Near You!

Our dentists look forward to caring for you and every member of your family with a comprehensive selection of services. We will maintain and improve your oral health with a wide range of preventive, cosmetic, restorative, implant, and emergency dentistry techniques. We also specialize in endodontics, periodontics, oral surgery, and orthodontics, serving patients from Riverside, Temecula, Moreno Valley, Corona, and all surrounding California communities. To schedule an appointment, contact one of the following locations nearest to you:

Riverside Dental Group at Magnolia in Riverside, CA at (951) 689-5031.
Dental Associates of Moreno Valley in Moreno Valley, CA at (951) 697-6800.
Riverside Dental Group at Woodcrest in Riverside, CA at (951) 776-9001.
Oasis Family Dental in Temecula, CA at (951) 695-2290.
Dental Associates of Riverside in Riverside, CA at (951) 369-1001.
Dental Associates of Corona in Corona, CA at (951) 273-9580.