Common questions about flossing

During your routine dental visits every six months, your dental hygienist will clean your teeth before a full evaluation. When doing so, he or she may educate you on the importance of flossing. While most patients brush their teeth daily, others avoid flossing. It can be difficult for some patients to maintain a healthy habit of flossing their teeth each day, not realizing that it can be just as important as brushing. Below are a few of the more common questions we hear from our patients at Broadway Family Dentistry regarding flossing.

What type of floss do I use?

Always use a floss that is approved by the American Dental Association and has the ADA seal on the packaging. This ensures that you are using a quality floss that will be effective at removing food particles between the teeth.

How do I floss?

Flossing is done by using floss manipulated by the fingers and moving them between the teeth. Patients should floss with the thread in a C shape to scrape the side of each tooth. Patients should never use the same section of floss twice for other areas of the teeth as it can spread bacteria throughout the smile and wedge debris back in-between other teeth.

How do I floss around restorations?

Certain restorations, such as bridges and dental implants, require special flossing techniques to ensure food particles and bacteria do not develop underneath them or between the teeth and gums. Ask your hygienist to show you the best way to work around these restorations while ensuring they get the attention they need.

Should I use a water flosser?

While traditional dental floss is the most desirable option, others with dexterity issues may find that floss sticks, water flosser, and waterpiks are viable alternatives.

Call Drs. Stanley Hirst and Bethany Jensen today

Broadway Family Dentistry is a family dental practice serving patients in and around the community of Minot, North Dakota. Our priority is to provide you with the best possible care to assist you in achieving and maintaining  your oral health and wellness. If you would like to learn more about ways to keep your smile healthy and find out if you are flossing properly, contact our practice today by calling (701) 839-1299. We are conveniently located at 1839 South Broadway Street and accept new patients and families into our state-of-the-art facility.