Are you doing everything that you can to keep your smile in tiptop shape between dental appointments? In order to help you get the most out of your at-home oral hygiene routine, our Toluca Lake dentist office is here to give you tips on flossing correctly. Keep reading to get this important information.
Flossing is designed to clear plaque and dental debris from between a patient’s teeth and from the gum tissue. This simple step will improve the long-term health and appearance of your smile.
Here are some key steps that you can take to optimize your flossing routine:
1. Make a point to floss every single day
One key to benefiting from flossing is consistency and diligence. Because plaque is building up on your teeth and gums every single day, you need to floss every day in order to maintain a clean smile.
2. Use a clean portion of floss between each tooth
When you start flossing, break off a long piece of floss. Wind the ends of the floss around your middle fingers, and keep winding until only a small portion of the floss is usable. As you move from tooth to tooth, unwind a new portion of floss from your fingers. This ensures that you do not cross-contaminate your mouth with plaque from multiple teeth.
3. Floss before you brush
Floss as the first step in your dental hygiene routine in order to dislodge plaque and dental debris. Then you can brush your teeth to flush all of the bacterial matter from your mouth.
As always, our Toluca Lake dentist office is here to give you the information you need about at-home and professional dental care. Please call our dental office, or submit a question through our website, in order to get started optimizing your dental routine.