Dental floss: Benifits, How it Helps Your Gums, Flossing for Special Dental Condition and Its Type

Updated: June 16, 2022

To remove food and dental plaque from  areas a toothbrush is unable to reach and between teeth, a cord of thin filaments is used which is known as dental floss. The use of floss is commonly recommended in order to prevent the  dental disease, such as gingivitis and dental caries.
A person should floss once per day before or after brushing to allow the fluoride from the toothpaste to reach between the teeth.  Floss is commonly supplied in plastic dispensers that contain 10 to 100 meters of floss. Flossing can removes particles of food stuck between teeth and dental plaque that adhere to dental surfaces below the gumline.

Benefits Of Flossing Your Teeth:

These include:

• It helps prevent tooth decay and can reduce your risk of developing gum disease by removing plaque.
• Mouth infections can increase the levels of inflammatory substances in the blood, which can promote blood clots and slow blood flow to the heart causing cardiovascular. Regular flossing will prevent any type of infection in mouth and hence the related conditions.
• Flossing gives you the opportunity to regularly examine your mouth for any swelling or redness which can be a cause of cancers, HIV/AIDS or  eating disorders.
• Flossing gives you an opportunity to take a good look at your teeth, tongue, and gums.
• Flossing your teeth can make them look brighter by removing plaque and excess food particles that you may not see in the mirror or in areas that your toothbrush doesn’t reach.

How Does Flossing Help Your Gums?

Chronically unhealthy gums can increase your risk of losing your teeth or requires a root canal treatment. Brushing alone may not protect you from gum disease and the tooth loss. Daily tooth brushing twice with flossing is essential for good oral hygiene. Even though  you suffer from sensitive or bleeding gums, flossing prevent them from bleeding and can improve the health of your gums.
Flossing daily along with brushing and a rinse helps protect against gingivitis by removing plaque and food particles, keeping your teeth and gums healthy.

Flossing for Special Dental Condition:

You can try some specialized flossing options if you have any of these following conditions.

Sensitive gums:

If you have sensitive teeth and gums that bleed easily, choose a soft floss that slides easily and comfortably between the teeth.

Braces:

If you wear braces or have dentures, try a specialized floss that has a stiff end that you can thread beneath the main wire of your braces and a spongy component that slides easily between the teeth.

Difficulty manipulating floss:

If you don’t like reaching into the back of your mouth, try an electric flosser. An electric flosser provides the right amount of pressure to leave your gums feeling pleasantly stimulated.

Types of Floss:

A variety of dental flosses are commonly available.

Interdental non-powered self-care products:

These include

• Waxed floss, Unwaxed floss, Dental tape, Threader-tip floss and Tufted/braided dental floss which can be used only once and is disposable.
• Floss holder and Floss threader which can be used a number of times, however floss is to be changed after each use.

Some common problems experienced during misuse of these products are

• Floss cuts
• Floss clefts
• Circulation to fingers may cut off from wrapping floss too tight
• Inability to reach back teeth due to manual dexterity problems
• Trauma from forcing threader into tissues
• Unable to maintain tension of floss against tooth and fully wrap around tooth side

Interdental Powered Self-Care Products:

These are power flossers. Floss cuts or clefts with floss holder designs and unable to maintain tension or wrap floss completely around tooth side are the most common problems experienced during misuse of product.