How to Choose Dental Floss and the Basics of Flossing

Dental Floss and the Basics of Flossing

Your dentist has probably told you to floss your teeth, but many people are not aware that there are different kinds of dental floss. You may also not be aware of the proper way to floss your teeth. Use this guide to help you choose the appropriate floss and make the best use of it.

Types of Floss

There are two main types of dental floss. You can get monofilament floss, which is a single strand. This type of floss usually costs more, but can be well worth it if you have teeth that are very close together. Most floss is multifilament, meaning that it has several strands wound together. This type of dental floss is appropriate for most people.

If you have mobility issues with your hands, you may want to look into other floss options. There are floss picks you can buy that make it easier to floss between your teeth if holding a string of floss is difficult. With all of the options for dental floss, there really is no reason you should not be flossing your teeth. You can also get floss in different flavors and with other features such as fluoride.

How to Floss

Flossing is fairly easy once you get used to the method. You will want to pull about 18 to 24 inches of floss from the roll, unless you are using a floss pick. Wind the floss around the middle finger of each hand a few times until you have about an inch and a half tightened and ready to floss. Hook the floss between two teeth and bend it to make a C shape. You will then want to move the floss from the gum down to dislodge bacteria and debris from between your teeth. Repeat the motion on every side, and between all teeth. As you use the floss, wind the used portion around one finger and unwind from the other finger to use new floss.

If you are using floss picks, you will want to use several picks to clean your entire mouth. The floss picks only have about an inch of floss, which will become useless long before you finish. You will probably use about 3 to 4 floss picks in each session.

If you have any additional questions about how to floss or what type of floss you should be using, contact us for more information and a dental exam.