It may be tempting to skip flossing when taking care of your oral health at home, but flossing is a quick, easy, and essential part of keeping your teeth and gums clean and healthy. When you make flossing a regular part of your routine, you can decrease your chances of developing tooth decay and gum disease and help your teeth look great and your breath stay fresh.
Preventing Cavities & Gum Disease
Brushing your teeth removes plaque from the front, back, and top of your teeth, but it can only do so much to remove the food and plaque that collects in between the teeth. Plaque is a sticky, colorless film that coats the teeth and can cause cavities if it is not brushed and flossed away. When plaque first collects on a tooth, it is soft and easy to remove. Over time, however, it hardens and becomes harder for the patient to remove themselves with a toothbrush and toothpaste or floss.
Plaque often collects in between the teeth and around the gum line, and if it is not properly removed, it can move into the gum pockets. If a patient has plaque and tartar underneath their gum line, they will need a periodontal deep cleaning to treat their gums and prevent their gum disease from becoming worse.
Making Routine Cleanings Easier
If you have ever had a somewhat painful dental cleaning or noticed your gums were bleeding after your hygienist cleaned your teeth, the explanation you may have received was that things would have gone more smoothly if you flossed regularly. This is because flossing every day removes the tiny amount of plaque that has built up over the course of the day.
Help Your Hygienist By Flossing Regularly
If the only time your teeth are ever flossed is at the dentist, your hygienist will have more plaque and/or tartar to remove, which can be an uncomfortable experience. Flossing right before your dental visits won’t help much either; routinely flossing is the best way to have quicker and easier dental appointments. If you take great care of your teeth at home, your hygienist can focus more on the plaque buildup that collects in areas that are hard for patients to clean thoroughly with a toothbrush and floss to ensure that your smile stays clean and healthy. Contact our team today to schedule your cleaning!
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