Flossing Your Teeth: Benefits And Busted Myths
The importance of dental health is instilled in almost everyone from a very young age. Parents or guardians teach their children to brush their teeth twice a day, once in the morning and once at night, to the point it becomes a habit that lasts a lifetime.
Unfortunately, despite the importance of dental hygiene, flossing isn’t as common as teeth-brushing habits. The Australian Dental Association (ADA) reports that around three in four people rarely or never floss.
This statistic has urged the Australian Dental Association and dental clinics to campaign for flossing and the serious impacts of neglected oral health. Flossing your teeth is just as critical to maintaining the health of your teeth and gums as brushing and regular dental check-ups.
We understand that flossing can be daunting and hard to add to your daily schedule if it’s not already part of your routine. There is a lot of misinformation surrounding flossing regarding its benefits and the impact it has on your overall health. Our guide will break it down, as well as cover tips for flossing and how to do it properly.
How And When To Floss Your Teeth
To keep your teeth clean and healthy, it’s important to floss regularly. Industry professionals recommend flossing your teeth at least once a day, either in the morning or at night before going to bed.
If you’re wondering whether you should floss or brush first, research has been done to see which is more effective. Studies have found that for an optimal outcome, flossing first, followed by brushing with toothpaste, is most effective at removing plaque. This is because flossing loosens any residue between your teeth, including bacteria and plaque. When you follow flossing with brushing and rinsing your teeth, more particles are removed from the hard-to-reach interdental spaces.
How to floss
If you’re wondering how to floss properly, we’ve laid it out in a few steps below. If you struggle to use regular floss, there are a range of alternative flossing tools, like floss picks.
- Start with about 40cm of floss, winding most of it around each middle finger, leaving about 5-10cm to work with.
- Hold the floss tautly between your thumbs and index fingers, and begin to slide it gently back and forth between your teeth.
- It’s important to gently curve the floss around the base of each tooth, ensuring you go beneath the gumline.
- As you move from tooth to tooth, make sure to use clean sections of the floss.
- To remove the floss when you’re done, use the same back-and-forth motion to bring the floss out from between the teeth.
When flossing, it’s important to remember to never snap or force the floss. This could cause bruising or even cut delicate gum tissue.
The Benefits of Flossing Your Teeth
Regular flossing plays a massive role in maintaining teeth and overall hygiene. Skipping flossing sessions can lead to plaque build-up along the gum line and between teeth, increasing the risk of tooth decay and gum disease over time. These are some of the benefits regular flossing can provide:
Getting rid of plaque
Regular flossing will help get rid of plaque—the sticky film that collects and builds up on your teeth and around your gumline. While plaque is natural and forms when bacteria in your mouth mix with starchy or sugary foods and drinks, it isn’t something you want there for very long. Regular flossing plays a critical role in removing food particles from around your teeth, preventing plaque buildup, and can also remove plaque itself.
Helping prevent gum disease
One of the most common causes of gum disease, according to the Australian Dental Association, is plaque and tartar. So, regular flossing can contribute to preventing gum disease as it stops plaque buildup and the potential growth of tartar on the gums.
Reducing bad breath
Bad breath, also known as halitosis, can be caused when food gets trapped in your teeth or plaque builds up, causing a foul smell. Flossing is one of the few tools you can use to keep bad breath away, as it can remove any remaining food or plaque, even in hard-to-reach places.
Impact of Not Flossing Your Teeth
It’s no secret that flossing your teeth can have a serious impact on your overall oral health. The most common consequence of not flossing includes an increased risk of developing cavities, plaque build-up, and gingivitis—the precursor to gum disease.
When plaque builds up over time on the teeth and gums, it can also cause swollen and tender gums—leading to bleeding in severe cases. That’s why it’s important to stay on top of flossing daily. Not flossing can also cause bacteria to accumulate in the mouth, leading to other major issues, like loose teeth. This is because the body recognises the bacteria as a foreign substance and begins an inflammatory response, which breaks down the bacteria as well as the fibres and collagens that hold your teeth together, causing them to become loose.
There’s also a survey from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which reported those with poor oral health habits (including not flossing) may be twice as likely to develop HPV than those who have good habits.
Common Myths About Flossing Your Teeth
There are so many myths and misconceptions surrounding flossing. It’s an essential part of oral health and preventing future problems. Below, we’ve separated fact from fiction in our list, debunking common flossing myths.
Myth #1: All floss is the same—this isn’t true. While many floss brands and products may seem similar, some types of floss are made for specialised applications, like braces or plates. It’s always good to chat with your dentist to see what type is best for you.
Myth #2: Flossing can damage previous dental work. There’s a massive misconception that flossing can damage previous work, like fillings and veneers—this is false. Flossing cannot harm or loosen dental work.
Myth #3: Brushing your teeth is enough—it’s not. It’s often believed that flossing isn’t needed if you’ve got a good enough brush and use it twice daily. No matter how efficient anyone’s teeth brushing is, flossing reaches places a toothbrush can’t.
Myth #4: Flossing regularly will cause gaps in your teeth—this one isn’t true. While it may seem like flossing regularly is creating gaps in your teeth, all it does is remove any food and plaque build-up.
Book A Check-Up And Clean Appointment With Admire Dentistry
If you have any further questions about flossing and keeping up with your dental hygiene, the team at Admire Dentistry would be happy to help. You can request an appointment online or contact us today to chat with our team.
Our team also understands how important teeth are and the impact they can have on your life. The Admire Dentistry team is backed by years of experience to assist with any dental concerns or problems you’re facing, including how to properly floss.
We have locations in the Arana Hills and Samford Village. Our team also understands how daunting visiting a clinic can be, so we make the environment as gentle and comfortable as possible. If you require any accommodations, our team will do our best to meet them.
It’s recommended to get a dental check-up and clean every 6–12 months. If you’re overdue or looking for a new dentist, book an appointment with our team; we’d love to assist you with your dental journey.