Dental floss or dental floss is a solution to clean the remaining food that is still stuck between the teeth. Getting into the habit of brushing your teeth regularly and using dental floss can reduce your risk of developing various dental and oral diseases.
Brushing your teeth twice a day is actually not enough to keep your teeth clean and healthy. Why is that? Toothbrushes are not necessarily able to reach the nooks and crannies between the teeth, so there are often food scraps stuck between the teeth.
Therefore, complete the effort to clean your teeth by using dental floss. If necessary, use it toomouthwash to rinse.
How to Use Dental Floss
Here is the correct way to use dental floss or dental floss:
- Take dental floss about 45 cm long and wrap both ends of the floss around the middle fingers of your right and left hands.
- Hold the dental floss tightly with the help of your thumb and index finger.
- Gently tuck the floss between the teeth, then rub it in a C pattern.
- Move the floss up and down gently and slowly so as not to hurt the gums.
- Apply the same thing between the other teeth.
When you're done flossing, rinse your mouth with water or mouthwash. Use dental floss at least once a day.
In the early days of flossing, your gums may sometimes bleed due to the friction of the floss being too hard. This condition is nothing to worry about, because over time you will get used to using dental floss in the right way.
Benefits of Cleaning Teeth with Dental Floss
There are at least more than 500 types of bacteria found in the mouth. That is why, it is important to get used to cleaning your teeth with a toothbrush and dental floss so that food residue does not become a breeding ground for bacteria that can cause disease in the teeth and mouth.
Research shows that people who use dental floss regularly have a lower risk of developing dental and gum problems compared to people who never use dental floss.
The reason is because the use of dental floss can prevent the formation of plaque and tartar, so the risk for bad breath, tooth decay, and gingivitis or periodontitis can be reduced.
So, to take care of healthy teeth and gums, brushing your teeth is not enough. Use dental floss regularly to clean between your teeth from food residue. In addition, do not forget to check your teeth regularly to the dentist, at least every 6 months.