Expert: Guo Hang. Vice president, doctor and chief physician of Beijing Ruier stomatological hospital.
why floss?
Most dental diseases are caused by poor oral hygiene and accumulation of tartar on the tooth surface and periodontium that can breed bacteria. Brushing teeth can remove most of the tartar on the tooth surface, but it is not easy to brush the dead corners in the crevices between two teeth and some of the irregularly arranged teeth. This requires another oral hygiene maintenance tool – dental floss.
Why do you use floss instead of toothpicks to clean your teeth?
First of all, the toothpick is sharp and has no toughness, which is easy to bruise the gums when used; Dental floss is smooth and flexible, which is more suitable for the shape of the adjacent surface of teeth;
Secondly, the toothpick is relatively thick relative to the teeth gap, which is easy to cause abnormal pressing force on the teeth after long-term use, so that the teeth move and the teeth gap becomes larger; The thickness of dental floss is completely within the range of physiological mobility of teeth, and long-term use will not affect the position of teeth;
In addition, the shape of the toothpick is not suitable for the teeth gap, and the teeth gap cannot be completely cleaned; Dental floss can move more freely to every corner of the teeth, and can be cleaned more cleanly.
how to use dental floss
1. First, take out a section of dental floss 20 cm to 30 cm long and wrap it around the middle finger or index finger of both hands.
2. Hold the floss about 2cm with your thumb and index finger, tighten the floss, enter the tooth gap from the occlusal surface of your teeth with your accustomed posture, and slowly slide into the lowest position of the gum against the tooth surface.
3. When reaching the bottom of the gingival sulcus, bend the floss to fit the teeth into a “C” shape, and pull the floss up and down along the side of the teeth to remove dental plaque. After cleaning one side of the tooth surface, lift the floss away from the gum, move it to the other side of the tooth surface, slide it to the lowest position of the gum, and remove the dental plaque in the same way.
4. After this gap is cleaned, pull out the floss one by one, and use a clean section of floss to clean the other gap until all the gaps, including the innermost surface of the last tooth, are clean, and then rinse your mouth.
timing of flossing
First, it is used after brushing teeth to assist in oral health maintenance – at this time, it is necessary to clean all teeth;
Second, after eating, prevent the accumulation of food residues – at this time, only clean the teeth where food residues are easy to accumulate;
Third, any free time.
age of flossing
Just like brushing teeth, it is necessary to use as long as there are teeth. When children have not learned to use it by themselves, or the elderly or the disabled are not convenient for them, parents or guardians can help them use it.
selection of floss types
There are different brands and styles of dental floss on the market. As long as it is a regular product, it can be used according to your own preferences and habits. It has no special relationship with the crowd. In addition, pure dental floss and dental floss with handles are only related to personal usage habits. As long as they are skillful, they can achieve the purpose of cleaning teeth. When choosing dental floss products, pay attention to whether they have targeted design, such as whether they are different from children and adults, fragrance and added drugs.
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