By: Dr. Nicole G. Nalbandian (DDS, MS)
July 30, 2024
We all dread the inevitable question that comes with every trip to the dental office. The question that goes something like this ‘so…have you been flossing’ and ‘how often are you flossing.’ As dental professionals this is when we see a guilty look come across our patient’s faces followed by an answer to the effect of ‘not as often as I should’ or ‘I flossed right before I came in…but before that I can’t remember the last time I flossed.’
Sometimes, patients are brave, they will confidently say ‘I floss every day.’… to these patients I say, ‘nice try….you’re not fooling anyone.’
So before your next trip to the dentist, FLOSS YOUR TEETH, and keep these facts in mind:
- Should you floss before or after brushing your teeth? Does it even matter?
- Yes, of course it matters. Flossing your teeth BEFORE you brush is always the way to go. Why?
- i. Increases fluoride concentration between teeth
- ii. More effective at helping prevent cavities
- iii. More effective plaque removal
- Yes, of course it matters. Flossing your teeth BEFORE you brush is always the way to go. Why?
- What type of floss should I be using?
- Your teeth are not equal opportunity employers, not all floss brands are good enough to do the job of keeping your teeth healthy!
- What should you be looking for in a good dental floss?
- i. Somewhat thick so it doesn’t shred
- ii. Light wax coating
- iii. Texture so that it can remove debris between teeth (stay away from those smooth waxy ribbons of dental floss ie: Glide Dental Floss)
- What about coco floss?
- i. If you want to spend $25 on floss that doesn’t work any better than regular floss because it has a cute package and good Instagram marketing…go for it!
- I’m too cool to floss, I use a Waterpik instead.
- NO. PLEASE NO!…When your dentist asks you if you floss and your response is ‘yes, I floss with my Waterpik every day’ you are breaking your dentist heart! Don’t do that.
- Let me set the record straight when I say a Waterpik is NOT EVER a substitute for flossing. Yes, string floss is annoying, yes Waterpik may be more fun, but NO it does not do the job. Sorry. It is what it is.
- When/How should a Waterpik be used
- i. Patients with braces that CAN’T floss
- ii. Older patients that have large gaps between their teeth and problems with manual dexterity
- iii. In ADDITION to use of regular floss (if you wish to add an extra layer to your oral hygiene routine)
- Those floss picks are awesome! I take them everywhere I go.
- Also…NO!!
- These picks are convenient, they come in handy, and they are easy to use between meals. However, like all shortcuts in life, they do not work as well as traditional flossing.
- I never floss around my crowns and fillings, I am scared they may fall out if I floss them.
- Listen. If your crowns or fillings come out while you are flossing then that means they were failing anyway. The sooner you know if a crown or filling is going bad the sooner it can be fixed and the less damage is done to your tooth. The longer a failing crown or filling stays in your tooth the more bacteria is able to get under there to do damage.
- NEVER BE AFRAID TO FLOSS YOUR CROWNS AND FILLIGNS.
- Flossing makes my gums bleed.
- That’s the point. If your gums are bleeding that means you are NOT flossing enough in the first place.
- If you notice your gums are bleeding this means you should floss more not less. You should also schedule an appointment with your dentist to evaluate your gums and check for signs of periodontal disease.
Dr. Nalbandian’s Dental Floss Favorite: Reach by Johnson and Johnson
Sincerely,
Dr. Nicole G. Nalbandian
Elevate your standard for oral health
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DR. NICOLE G. NALBANDIAN
Call Us: +1 (818) 262 3043
916 w. Burbank Boulevard, Suite A (BB Dental Care), Burbank, California 91506