There are some thing you know about dental floss without spending much time thinking about it: You know you need to floss every day as part of dental hygiene to complete effective preventive care. You know that you need to keep this up for life in order to maintain a smile that doesn’t end up with serious problems like inflamed gums, cavities, and more. However, our Grand Prairie, TX team wonders if there are some things you don’t know about that you shouldn’t do in terms of flossing. Let’s make sure you’re well informed, so you’re not missing a beat!
Don’t Use It If You Dropped It
We know that you may think you can quickly just rinse off a piece of dental floss you dropped on the floor, blow dust from it, etc., and that it should be A-OK. However, we generally suggest that if you drop it, you throw it out and start again. Don’t forget that you walk on the same floor where you just dropped that strand of floss. The floor is usually coated in quite an exceptional assortment of bacteria and harmful germs that, should they enter your mouth, might make you quite sick. It’s worth protecting your oral health and your body, so keep everything as clean as you can during dental hygiene.
Don’t Keep Using It If It’s Shredding
Are you dealing with floss that shreds every time you use it? This means that you either need to try a different texture that is better suited to your teeth or that you need to schedule a checkup with us, so can check in to ensure there’s nothing wrong with your smile. The best bet? Do both!
Don’t Use Less Than You Need
In order to practice your best preventive care, you need to use enough of the stuff you need. For instance, if you use just the tiniest dab of toothpaste, you’re probably not going to see the best results (you need a pea-size dollop!). As for dental floss, if you try to floss your smile daily with an itty bitty strand of floss, you’re not going to be doing much for your hygiene. Instead, remember: You need about a foot and a half for effective cleansing. Don’t short yourself or you’ll be encouraging issues like decay and gingivitis!
Get Essential Flossing Tips From Us
Remember that when you spend time learning from our team about how to best care for your smile, it provides you with lifelong education that will help you keep your smile extremely healthy! Set up an appointment in Grand Prairie, TX by contacting your dentist at Pecan Tree Dental to schedule a visit at (972) 262-5111.
