When is the best time to floss?

Dental floss or flossing is a cleaning tool that is quite effective in cleaning teeth besides a toothbrush. Most people combine the toothbrush method with use flossing to avoid bacteria and plaque. However, when is the right time to floss?

Check out the reviews below to find out the answer.

The order of time using dental floss (flossing)

As a cleaning tool that improves dental hygiene by 40%, dental floss is still not very popular in Indonesian society.

Most of them prefer to brush their teeth instead of having to waste time flossing. In fact, teeth have five layers and not all of them are reached by a toothbrush.

Therefore, flossing exists as a way out so that the teeth are free from dental and mouth problems caused by bacteria and plaque that are left behind.

However, not a few people feel that the right time to floss is after brushing their teeth.

In reality, this is not the case. According to research from the Journal of Periodontology, flossing before brushing is the right order to get rid of dental plaque completely.

In the study, there were 25 participants who were asked to brush their teeth first. Then, use dental floss to clean the remaining dirt.

In the second phase, the same participants do the opposite, namely flossing before brushing their teeth. In both ways, the researchers found that the amount of plaque between the tooth cavities was reduced more by the second method.

This is probably because dental floss can loosen bacteria and food debris from between the teeth. If you do brush your teeth and rinse afterward, your mouth will be freer from these impurities.

Therefore, the use of dental floss is quite important to maintain dental hygiene and avoid the risk of cavities.

In addition, you also need to brush your teeth twice a day which is accompanied by flossing to prevent oral health problems.

How to use dental floss correctly

After knowing when is the right time to use dental floss, now is the time to recognize how to properly use this tooth cleaning tool.

According to the American Dental Association, there are five steps you can try when flossing in order to be free from teeth filled with bacteria.

Step 1

Start by taking about 45 cm of dental floss and wrapping the floss around your middle fingers.

Step 2

Grasp the remaining untwisted dental floss with your thumb and forefinger.

Step 3

Insert the dental floss between the teeth slowly and gently. Recommended for flossing in front of a mirror so you can see where the floss is inserted.

Step 4

Start moving the floss on the front or back teeth. Then, move the string up and down slowly. If it's too hard, it can actually make your gums bleed.

Step 5

When you have touched the tooth that is close to the gum, circle the floss to the side of the tooth, resembling the letter "C". Gently rub the string in an up and down motion. Repeat this method for the other teeth.

When you're done flossing , don't forget to rinse your mouth so that the remaining dirt and plaque can be rinsed clean.

In addition, dental floss is disposable only, so you have to throw it away so you don't reuse it.

According to the researchers, the right time to floss is before brushing your teeth. If you forget the sequence, you don't need to panic and floss your teeth as usual, either after or before brushing your teeth so that you can get the benefits.

Photo Source: Medical News Today