At Santa Monica Dental Arts in Santa Monica, CA we encourage our patients to have a good oral hygiene routine to maintain a healthy smile. That includes brushing your teeth, flossing, and seeing the dentist twice a year. Many of our patients wonder what the reason for flossing is. In today’s blog, we are here to tell you all about the benefits.
This Step Can Prevent Health Problems
Including this step in your daily hygiene routine is crucial to your health for many reasons.
- It prevents plaque from building up in your mouth.
Brushing alone cannot get all the food and debris from your mouth. Going in with dental floss can help remove food from hard-to-reach areas. If these are left in your mouth, bacteria can form and create cavities, and harm your gums.
- It reduces bad breath.
If you feel like you have bad breath that never goes away even after brushing your teeth, it may be due to skipping this step in your routine.
- It can help your overall health.
Recent studies have shown that including this part of your oral hygiene can decrease your risk of heart disease and other major health issues. If food is left and bacteria grow in your mouth, your gumline can be damaged. Then, harmful bacteria can enter your bloodstream and increase your risk of heart disease.
How To Properly Clean Between Your Teeth
During a cleaning, your provider asks if you floss regularly. Your dentist can tell if you are not doing this as part of your daily routine because your gums will look red instead of the normal pink color they should be.
First, make sure that you use a piece of floss long enough to hold in your hands. There should be enough to hold and weave in between your teeth. Stores offer a variety of methods – string, picks, and water picks. It is recommended that you use string floss. Picks can be helpful if you have difficulty holding string or if you have braces, but they are not able to wrap around your teeth as needed.
Make sure that you go in between every single tooth and reach the gumline. A good tip is to place it around each tooth so that you reach the areas that a regular toothbrush cannot reach. Remember to be gentle when you do this because you do not want to harm your gums or teeth. If you experience bleeding when you do this part of your routine, it may be due to inflamed gums or plaque buildup.
Schedule An Appointment Today!
At Santa Monica Dental Arts, conveniently located in Santa Monica, CA, our staff provides the highest-quality dental care to patients of all ages. To learn more about the services we offer, or to schedule a consultation with Dr. Moeiz Koshki, call Santa Monica Dental Arts in Santa Monica, CA today at 310-395-1261.
