Flossing Poorly Can Lead to Long Term Tooth and Gum Damage
Posted on 12/21/2020 by Dick Hikade, DDS
Flossing daily is an important part of your oral health routine. However, if you don't floss correctly, you can actually cause damage to your teeth and gums. Poor flossing techniques also doesn't fully clean your teeth, so you are still at risk of cavities and other issues. If you're going to floss, and you should, you need to properly learn how to do it.
Poor Flossing Techniques Can Hurt Your Gums
If you don't floss correctly, you can end up cutting your gums. You don't need to apply a lot of pressure when you floss, nor do you need to push the floss into your gums with a lot of force. Doing so can cut your gums, causing them to bleed. This also creates an opening for bacteria to get into the gums, leading to inflammation and infection. This can make gum disease worse, leading to advanced periodontal disease unless you come get help. If you apply too much pressure to the sides of your teeth, you may start to damage the outer layer of enamel. This is especially true if you floss after eating or drinking something acidic since the acid does temporarily weaken enamel. Be gentle and run the floss up both sides of your teeth and over the top of your gums.
Poor Techniques Don't Remove All of the Bacteria
If you don't floss correctly, you're also likely not cleaning your teeth as fully as you should. You may floss too quickly or only slip the floss between your teeth once rather than making certain it touches both teeth. This leaves debris and bacteria between your teeth. This can lead to cavities developing between or behind your teeth where you can't easily see them. If you don't see them, you may not realize they're there until you come in for a checkup. This is one reason why six-month appointments are so vital—you may not be able to see every cavity. If you haven't been in to see us in the past six months, it's time to do so. Call today to make an appointment.
Dental Blog | Sunnyside Dentistry | Clackamas, OR dentist Dick Hikade, DDS at Sunnyside Dentistry has created this informative blog to help educate the community about dental concerns. Sunnyside Dentistry, 14210 SE Sunnyside Rd, Suite 200, Clackamas, OR 97015 ~ (503) 451-5104 ~ sunnysidedentistry.com ~ 10/8/2024 ~ Page Keywords: dentist Clackamas OR ~
Flossing daily is an important part of your oral health routine. However, if you don't floss correctly, you can actually cause damage to your teeth and gums. Poor flossing techniques also doesn't fully clean your teeth, so you are still at risk of cavities and other issues. If you're going to floss, and you should, you need to properly learn how to do it.