
Yes, Daily Flossing Really Is That Important: Here's Why (and How to Do It Properly) Promo:

It’s often said that flossing isn’t truly important. Some people will even tell you that your dentist or dental hygienist can’t tell whether you’ve flossed or not. But the truth is they absolutely can, and yes, flossing is that important.
Downtown Dental Studio offers treatments for all your oral health needs, but we also want you to take good care of your teeth and gums at home. Fadi Beydoun, DMD, MS, Alexander Kimon, DMD, and Karina Zaygermakher, DMD, will consistently sing the praises of flossing and are happy to make sure you know why — and how — to do it right.
The reasons we floss — and why we do it every day
It’s easy to tell yourself flossing isn’t important, especially if you’re brushing twice every day. Why would you need to clean your teeth after cleaning your teeth, after all? However, experts are happy to remind you that flossing gets to the parts of your teeth that your toothbrush can’t reach. These include the sides of your teeth and your gum line.
If you’re not flossing, brushing will only take care of the surfaces that your toothbrush can reach. This allows plaque to build up, and while it can sometimes be taken care of in a regular cleaning visit, which we recommend about every six months, we’re not always able to catch it before the problem worsens.
Plaque hardens into calculus, which then begins to decay the teeth and erode the gum line. Cavities, gingivitis, and other serious issues can stem from areas that your toothbrush can’t reach, leaving them unclean. And if you do start flossing, the more often you do it, the easier it is to get into the habit and ensure you get everything clean.
Flossing 101: how to do it right
Okay, so maybe we’ve convinced you that flossing is important. But many people fear flossing because they don’t know how to do it properly. It makes them nervous or uncomfortable, and after trying it once and finding it difficult, they stop. Let us give you some pointers for flossing properly so that it can become as easy for you as brushing already is.
- As we’ve previously mentioned, try to floss every day. It gets easier the more you do it, and you’re able to remember more easily as well.
- Sometimes, when people are just learning to floss, they use too little of it. Make sure you use a piece about as long as your arm before you start.
- Another good pro tip is to wrap the floss around your middle — not your index — fingers. This way, you can use your index fingers to guide the floss where you want it to go. Your index fingers are stronger and more dexterous, so this makes the whole process much easier.
- Move the floss gently up and down between two teeth, then slide it against the side of each tooth, making sure to get under the gum line as well.
- When you move on to the next tooth, use a new, unused section of your long piece of floss.
Here’s another important thing to remember: If you never floss and you’ve just begun the process, you might bleed a bit. This is because your gums aren’t used to this process and possibly because you’re already dealing with a bit of inflammation. It shouldn’t bleed a whole lot, but a little is okay. If you keep bleeding after a week of flossing, come see us.
Flossing is important
It helps keep your teeth and gums healthy and ensures that you reach those areas you otherwise wouldn’t be able to reach. And if you floss every day, it’ll become easier, and you’ll definitely see the results when you visit your provider. We guarantee it.
If you’d like to make an appointment for a cleaning or another type of visit at our office in New York City’s Financial District, call us at 212-964-3337 or visit us online. We look forward to meeting you!
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