Flossing

Brushing and flossing regularly ensures that you'll keep your teeth and gums healthy and protects you from gum disease and tooth decay. There's also a number of other products on the market which may be of use including mouthwashes and tongue cleaners. Your oral health can also be helped by maintaining a healthy diet and limiting the amount of sugary drinks and foods you consume. Similarly, if you  r a smoker, quitting will greatly improve your oral hygiene. On top of this it's important to have regular check ups with your dentist so that any problems with your oral health can be spotted and dealt with before they become serious.

The reason that we brush and floss our teeth is to reduce the number of bacteria which live in our mouths. There's literally millions of bacteria inhabiting every part of your mouth and feeding on the remainders of food debris left on your teeth. As they feed these bacteria produce an acid as a byproduct and this acid attacks tooth enamel which in turn creates cavitites. Bacteria also create byproducts such as sulfur compounds which can lead to halitosis. As you brush your teeth a number of bacteria escape by living in the spaces between your teeth so brushing without flossing means you could be missing out on cleaning 40% of your teeth.

Without flossing the plaque which remains in your teeth can harden into tartar which can't be easily removed by brushing alone. Tartar can allow dangerous levels of bacteria to grow and they can go on to inflame or irritate your gums by producing toxins, a condition called gingivitis. If this condition isn't treated properly it may become a fully blown periodontal disease meaning bacteria will affect the supporting structures of the teeth and even bones. This can lead to a range of problems such as loose teeth, teeth that fall out and even bone loss.

When to floss

It's vital that you floss your teeth once a day at a minimum and prefereably after brushing. If you have any questions about flossing or oral hygiene in general be sure to ask your hygienist or dentist. In short however flossing is performed by wrapping the ends of the floss around your fingers before grabbing it tightly and scraping it in between the teeth outwards from the gums. This can help to clean those hard to reach places where you won't have access with a normal toothbrush, it's also important to use a fresh piece of floss for each space.

There's a number of alternative products to traditional types of floss including; flavoured flosses, waxed or unwaxed floss, floss 'tape' which can slide between the teeth easily, disposable 'forks' which contain a length of floss and even an electric flosser (also called an interdental cleaner). If you've not flossed for some time a small tinge of blodd may appear on your floss after use and this may indicate that your gums could be slightly inflamed. However by following a good oral health regieme this should disappear.