How to use dental floss correctly

Oral hygiene is not complete without the use of dental floss. It is an essential part of the cleaning of the mouth, along with brushing and rinses that we sell in Foramen.

There is no excuse not to use it and in the market we will be able to find the one that best suits our tastes, as there are waxed, unwaxed and with different shapes and compounds.

How do we select the best one for us?

Before using dental floss , it is necessary to choose among the different varieties. For example, if our teeth are very close together, we can opt for unwaxed floss, since it gets into small spaces.

It can break when fraying, so if this happens frequently, it is better to purchase the one with wax. It is thicker and stronger than the previous one, but has the disadvantage that the wax makes it difficult to access narrow areas.

Another option is dental tape. It is much wider than the thread and can be purchased with or without wax. When our teeth are a little further apart, it works better than floss and is more comfortable.

If none of the above convinces us, there is a yarn called PTFE which is made of a material very similar to Gore-Tex. It is excellent at sliding between teeth and resists fraying very well, although it tends to be more expensive.

Superfloos dental floss closes the list. It looks like wool and has rigid sections at the ends with which dental appliances or bridges can be cleaned very well.

What length should we cut?

Once we know what type of dental floss we like best, the first step in using it is to cut it. The recommendation is that the floss section should be between 45 and 50 cm, since with this length we will have enough space to clean the teeth with the part that is not dirty.

Especially at the beginning, it is important to remember to use small sections and to move the silk around so that we always clean with an immaculate piece.

As for the length, this is an estimate, so we will be testing until we find the one we feel most comfortable with.

It must be wrapped around the fingers

That 50 cm section we cut in the previous step is wrapped around the middle fingers. There should only be a few centimeters working, so we roll the dirty part in one hand, while we take the clean part out of the other hand.

This prevents it from rolling up or getting caught on any element in the bathroom, which is common if it is left stretched out.

Do we use it gently or firmly?

We must consider that the gum is a delicate tissue. This means flossing gently and using sawing motions.

In fact, it is preferable to leave some plaque behind than to damage the gums, since it is then removed with one of the mouthwashes we manufacture at Foramen.

A correct way to clean the interdental spaces with the floss is to make a “C” shape around the tooth and slide the floss up and down in each interdental space.

If we are applying too much force we will immediately know it by the pain in the gum or even a small spot of blood.

It is necessary to spend the necessary time

When cleaning one interdental space at a time, flossing is a time-consuming process. This means that there is no need to be in a hurry, as it usually takes longer with flossing than with brushing.

It should not be forgotten that this is a delicate process. This is why it is done with care and this is incompatible with rushing.

Finish with a mouthwash

The cleaning is finished with a mouthwash like the ones we manufacture at Foramen. We can choose the one we like the most and it will remove all the particles released by the dental floss.

Do we have alternatives to dental floss?

Some people find flossing uncomfortable for many reasons. Fortunately for them, there is an alternative that they can use whenever they are at home.

This is an oral irrigator, a system that performs interdental cleaning with pressurized water and does a similar job to flossing.

However, it is always a good idea to carry dental floss in case you have to leave the house and want to brush your teeth. The silk fits in any bag, but the irrigator is a bulky machine that takes up a lot of space in the bathroom and cannot be transported.

Another alternative, more convenient on certain occasions, are interdental brushes. In fact, those people who have some kind of treatment in their mouths tend to opt for them.