Hark! What’s that you just heard? Did someone claim that flossing your teeth doesn’t really do anything beneficial and you were right there to say, “Yes, that’s quite right! Flossing just isn’t working for me!”? If so, we understand your frustration. However, we also need to redirect your thoughts a bit. While it’s possible flossing isn’t working for you right now, it will most definitely work for you in the future. You just might be doing a thing or two incorrectly, which is yielding poor results. Consider a few reasons it’s not working (and make some easy, necessary dental hygiene changes), so your smile is all that it can be!
Reason #1: You’re Not Bending It
Maybe someone taught you to just move your dental floss up and then down between your teeth, while keeping the floss perfectly straight. There is the chance that this will occasionally dislodge a large particle of food. However, there’s no chance this is going to remove plaque from your teeth. Bend the dental floss to one side and slide it up, then to the other side and slide it up. The result? You will remove decay-causing plaque with effective dental hygiene instead of missing it.
Reason #2: You’re Not A Fan Of Your Floss
Do you think your floss tastes funny? Are you unhappy with the taste it leaves in your mouth? One of the main reasons your floss isn’t working is the fact that you are avoiding it. Why are you avoiding it? Well, you wouldn’t eat food that tastes unpalatable, so why would you choose to place floss in your mouth on a daily basis if it tastes yucky? Make a change! Unflavored or another option will give you the burst of motivation you need.
Reason #3: You Aren’t Including Your Gumline
If you’re carefully sliding the floss along your tooth borders but you’re never dipping down beneath your gumline, it isn’t going to work. It might help, of course. But gingivitis is still a big possibility, since tartar is accumulating beneath your gumline. Floss all the way down just beneath where your gum tissue frames your teeth for effective dental hygiene.
