Tips for oral hygiene : dental floss
Cleaning the teeth with a toothbrush get a proper cleansing of the external and internal surfaces of the teeth. But the parts of the tooth facing the adjacent teeth are as much as 40 % of all tooth surfaces. To clean between the teeth and the other will be useful the use of dental floss.
The use of dental floss is recommended in the evening, right after dinner. In this way you remove dental plaque and food debris from the interdental space and the teeth remain clean until the morning.
There are two types of floss: one consisting of many strands of nylon and the monofilament . The second has the appearance of a strip with the presence of microprojections to remove plaque, while in the first plaque remains trapped between the thin wires .
The floss should be strung between the two hands holding it between thumb and forefinger of each hand. Alternatively, you can wrap it around the middle finger. You insert the wire into a space between the tooth and the tooth in the vertical direction from the chewing part to the gingiva , possibly with a movement of " come and go " to pass more easily the contact point ( where they touch the adjacent teeth ), thus avoiding the wire , overcoming it suddenly cuts the gum. It brings down the floss between the tooth and the papilla (triangle of gum that closes the space between a tooth and the other ) as the papilla is not adherent to the tooth. You pull the wire on both sides, inside and outside, in the direction of the affected tooth .
In this way the floss embraces the tooth almost 180° and ensures a more thorough cleaning. It is a movement of "back and forth" to remove the plaque from the tooth . Finally pulling the wire by pulling in the occlusal direction. It rinses the wire and slide it between your fingers to remove the plaque that has removed . Subsequently the wire is reinserted in the same interdental space making it drop on the other side of the papilla and cleans the same way the surface of the adjacent tooth.
As an alternative to flossing, if the spaces between the teeth are wide, you can use the brush which is inserted horizontally between the teeth and the gum, below the point of contact. Do not use the brush with toothpaste, otherwise you risk root of wear.
The use of dental floss is particularly useful :
- In tight spaces between your natural teeth.
- In the presence of plants .
- In the case of dental prostheses on natural teeth or implants, or in the presence of orthodontic appliances.
Is it really necessary to use dental floss ?
Yes, ABSOLUTELY. Brushing it reaches only 3 of 5 tooth surfaces. Interdental spaces, namely those that the toothbrush can not reach, are the areas where you often have the onset of gingivitis and periodontitis.
It is hard to get used to the daily use of dental floss
For each of us, some habits are harder to take than others. The best way is, of course, to adopt them from an early age. In adulthood, the use of dental floss is as important as brushing. Here are some tips that might be useful: make sure you have the floss always at hand. Store it in your car, purse, in the bathroom or in other environments often use. The modern lifestyle leads us to be away from home frequently, therefore you have the floss only at home may limit its use. Choose a floss easy to use and resistant to fraying.
