3 Common Misconceptions About Flossing
Do you know how many times a week you should floss? Are you also confused about whether to use dental tape, flossing threaders, or waxed floss? Flossing is essential to oral care and ignoring it can have unpleasant outcomes. However, certain misconceptions discourage people from doing it. These beliefs may have contributed to 32% of the population never flossing. Below is a brief discussion to debunk some of these erroneous beliefs you might have harbored about oral health.
1. Only floss when food is caught between the teeth
Oral health experts recommend brushing and flossing because both actions complement each other. Brushing alone means only a portion of the tooth’s structure is cleaned. Usually, the process focuses predominantly on the surfaces of each tooth (front and back). However, flossing is purposely meant to clean between the teeth and the gum line, so keep this in mind. Therefore, you would have carried out an efficient oral cleaning system when you did both.
Furthermore, plaque builds on and between the teeth; without cleaning, there is an increased risk of bad breath and gum disease. Plaque is a sticky film of bacteria that coats the teeth. When left unattended, it calcifies and becomes tartar. And you will need a local dentist to use special instruments to break through the tartar. The belief that flossing should only be done when something gets stuck between the teeth is unfounded.
2. Do not floss when wearing braces
More than four million of the population wears braces. A published report on age distribution states that braces are worn more by children aged six to sixteen. And 27% of adults wear dental braces to straighten their teeth. The belief that flossing must not be done when wearing braces is proven false. It can be tricky when you have these attachments supporting your teeth.
It takes patience and excellent maneuvering to floss while wearing a dental brace. And traditional braces are the most difficult to manage. If your braces were fixed recently, your gums might be slightly inflamed. Therefore, flossing may result in mild bleeding, but it will stop. With the Invisalign clear aligners, flossing is easier and more comfortable. All you have to do is remove the aligners, floss your teeth and replace the dental device, so feel free to consider this.
3. Children are too young to floss
According to the Dental Association, this is false. The group says parents must start flossing their children with multiple teeth. When your children develop more teeth, the likelihood of trapping bacteria within those pearly whites is high. Parents are therefore encouraged to help young kids under ten years to floss. However, after ten, children will be more independent in flossing themselves. The earlier you start your kids, the more adept they will be at flossing. Good oral care begins from the early years of life. When kids learn to take better care of their oral cavity, there can be a reduced risk of childhood caries, so keep this in mind.