Flossing is Important!
Why is flossing so important? Because even with proper brushing, the areas between your teeth don’t get completely cleaned. And most cavities start between your teeth! To keep your teeth and gums healthy you must use dental floss to remove the plaque between your teeth at least once a day.
How to use dental floss
First, take about eighteen inches of floss and wind the two ends of it around your middle fingers, leaving about five inches between your hands. Pinch the floss between your thumbs and index fingers and leave about one inch in between to work with. Gently guide the floss between the first two teeth using a side-to-side motion.
Pull the floss tightly in a C shape around the side of one tooth and slide it under the gum line. Clean the surface of the tooth by using and up-and-down motion not the side-to-side motion you used to guide the floss between the teeth. Repeat on the adjacent tooth. Then remove the floss, wind it to an unused section and repeat the process to clean both sides of every tooth.
If you are just beginning to floss for the first time, your gums will probably bleed a little. The bleeding should stop after about a week of regular flossing. If the bleeding continues after a couple of weeks let us know right away. It might indicate problems or it might just be that your technique needs adjusting. We can help either way. Also, if you have trouble getting the floss between your teeth or if it catches or tears, let us know as soon as possible. It could indicate a problem that needs to be corrected.