Many patients ask, “Why should I floss?” Maybe you have too.

Flossing is important to your oral health!  Imagine for a minute that you have spilled an entire jar of honey on your kitchen floor. How would you clean it up? Cleaning  the honey off the floor will require some friction and scrubbing with a wash cloth or a brush to fully remove the sticky residue. The bacteria that live in your mouth are like the honey on the kitchen floor. They are sticky and bond together in groups; we call these groups “plaque” or “biofilm”.

Bacteria in your mouth is the most damaging when it is grouped together in plaque and the perfect hiding place for those bacteria is between the teeth and just below the gum line. Plaque forms on all sides of the teeth and while toothbrushing removes a great deal of plaque, the bristles will never be able to fully reach between the teeth. Flossing, too, won’t remove all the bacteria, but it will disrupt it from forming into groups. This helps prevent gum disease or cavities from starting or getting worse. Often, the “in-between” the teeth areas are unreachable without using floss.

Patients often ask, “what kind of floss should I use?” Truly, the best type of floss to use is whichever one you like best! If flossing is done correctly, any type can be used. People with tighter teeth may prefer a non-shredding tape style or waxed floss, while others prefer a woven or braided style for their more open spaces.  Another popular option is to use a flosser. Flossers come in all shapes and sizes from long-handle/pre-loaded, to small single-use or re-loadable. There are many options available to suit your individual needs.

Now that we understand floss types, we should discuss proper technique. When flossing, it is important to remove the food debris that is stuck between the teeth, but the job does not end there. To adequately disrupt all the bacteria, the floss should be wrapped tightly to the side of the tooth, sliding it down below the gum line and back up again, gently scraping plaque away. This should be repeated on the other tooth in that space and then throughout the entire mouth. At an appointment with the hygienist, we will review this technique and make sure that it is easy to achieve.

“Ok, but what if I hate flossing? Isn’t there another way?”

Yes! There are some alternatives to flossing but they may not be as thorough in the tight spaces. Some of these include proxy brushes and toothpicks. Proxy brushes are small, bristled brushes that are shaped like a pipe cleaner or bottle brush. These brushes can be pushed between the teeth allowing the bristles to brush the bacteria away. Toothpicks are made of wood or plastic and can be used for food removal and gum stimulation. When using one of these non-floss options, it’s important to remember that the goal is BOTH food removal AND bacterial disruption.

“What about mouthwash instead?”

Let’s go back to the honey analogy. If the plaque in the mouth is like the honey on the floor, how well would that honey be removed if it is only sprayed with some water or cleanser? It would not be nearly as effective as mechanically removing it with a washcloth or brush. In the same way, mouth rinses have some value to oral health, but they are not effective for  plaque removal and should only be recommended in addition to proper brushing and flossing.

In summary, plaque is bacteria that causes damage to the teeth and gums. Plaque grows on all sides of the teeth including the sides “in-between” that are unreachable with a toothbrush. The type of floss used is up to the user. Proper flossing techniques disrupt bacteria and prevent them from causing damage. Sometimes alternative tools can be used in place of floss. Mouth rinses, while beneficial for a variety of reasons, cannot take the place of mechanical plaque removal. The hygienists at Dr. Molgard’s office look forward to demonstrating proper floss techniques with our patients and answering any questions they may have at their cleaning appointment.