According to The American Dental Association, everyone should be flossing at least once a day and brushing twice, yet people often neglect this part of their daily oral hygiene routine. If you are one of them, think about it this way; would you only brush your top teeth and ignore your bottom teeth?
Flossing is what we do to get rid of the food particles and harmful bacterial debris plaque in those areas where your toothbrush bristles can’t. Specifically, the tight spaces between your teeth and below the gum line. Flossing helps reduce tooth decay and gum disease, making it an essential part of your protective oral health strategy. It’s typically recommended that you floss first and then brush your teeth. That’s because if you brush your teeth first and floss afterward, food and plaque stay behind, lurking in your mouth until the next time you brush. Your toothbrush cleans your mouth while flossing cleans between your pearly whites. And it’s not like you don’t have a variety of options to try and learn which one works best for you!
Take a look at the most common types of flosses available to you:
- Dental tape
- Unwaxed floss
- Waxed floss
- Polytetrafluoroethylene floss
- Super floss
- Toothpicks
- Tip stimulator
- Wedge stimulator
- Interproximal brushes and swabs
- End-tufted brushes
- Water flossers
What’s Your Pick for Plaque Removal?
So which is the best? Well, waxed floss is great if you have tight spaces between teeth that tend to shred unwaxed flosses. If you wear braces, using waxed floss with a floss threader easily gets the job done. Carrying around a small container of nylon dental floss or dental tape fits great in a purse, pocket or carry-on travel bag while a mint-flavored floss keeps you from needing to cart around a bottle of mouthwash. An oral irrigator like Hydrofloss is ideal if you want to blast away unwanted debris and food particles. Basically, your flossing tool of choice boils down to personal preference. You can even stash a few of your favorite flossing tools in your dental hygiene kit!
If you find yourself with big gaps between your teeth, dental tape or Super Floss can do the trick. On the other hand, if you have barely any space between teeth, using waxed floss is great as it glides easily into those tight spaces. If you wear braces or have a dental bridge, using a spongy floss and floss threader works well. Ultimately the best flossing method is the one you enjoy using, so you’ll actually want to floss every day.
King of Oral Irrigators – Hydrofloss
If you still have plaque after using your dental tool, Dr. Ramy wholeheartedly recommends using Hydrofloss. This water flosser is perfect for people who struggle with traditional floss and for people wearing braces or having dental dental implants. This oral irrigator uses water to rinse away food and plaque from between the teeth and below the gum line by flowing a high-pressure stream of water into your mouth. Hydrofloss also uses a revolutionary magnetic feature patented by 2 U.S. patents so no other water flosser has it. It effectively rids your mouth of plaque and food particles between your pearly whites. Thanks to the magnetic feature, Hydroflos uses naturally occurring minerals to keep them from turning into a solid-state. The result? Plaque and bacteria can’t stick to your teeth!
Why Choose Hydrofloss
It’s also easier, faster, and more effective to use Hydrofloss than traditional string flossers. Like we mentioned, it’s safe to use around dental implants and dental restorations like fillings, crowns, bridges and even orthodontic appliances. The latter is especially useful because it’s often hard to clean teeth while in braces. Streaming water at them can even convince your child or teen in braces to floss every day! And if they do, they’re ahead of the game since the water flosser rids teeth of plaque up to 3 times better than a regular toothbrush and floss. And, teeth aren’t the only beneficiaries of Hydrofloss use as it also boosts gum health and freshens breath by getting rid of nasty plaque and bacteria hiding under the gum line. This also makes it ideal for periodontal maintenance and those who struggle with diabetes.
Who Can Use Water Flossing?
Water flossers in general are safe for most adults while children can also use them safely when they have been properly instructed or are supervised. The elderly find that water flossers make up for their diminished manual dexterity required for other flossing options. Based on personal experience, our dental team agrees that Hydrofloss is twice as effective as regular water flossers!
Call Us!
No matter what kind of floss you choose to use, remember to do it daily! We are here to help you with all your oral hygiene care, and invite you to schedule your next dental cleaning and exam with our Exceptional Dentistry team here in Palmdale, CA. You can call us today at 661.349.7725 or you can simply schedule your online reservation. Dr. Ramy and all of us here look forward to being your source for excellent oral health this year!
