Cleaning your teeth every day is a two-part process. Brushing your teeth, recommended at twice a day for two minutes each time, ensures that the tooth surfaces are rid of food particles and bacterial plaque. But if you are not cleaning the areas between the teeth, you are still at greater risk of tooth decay and gum disease.
When plaque is allowed to build up around teeth, the tooth enamel is weakened from the acids released in oral bacteria feeding on sugars and food particles. As plaque hardens into tartar, it irritates the gums as well. Once it hardens, only your dentist/hygienist can remove it using dental tools.
This is where flossing enters the picture. You see, flossing tools are designed to go where your toothbrush can’t. While people have resorted to using non-flossing tools such as fingernails, paper, and cutlery, these can harm your gums. Thankfully, there are a variety of flossing options at your disposal. We recommend using flossing options that carry the ADA seal of acceptance, as they have passed rigorous testing to prove that they are not only safe for use on your gums but do what they claim to do. In other words, they are proven to work effectively against plaque.
You can choose from water flossers, dental floss, dental picks, and interdental brushes. Your goal is to find what works best for you so that you will take time once a day to clean those areas.
Please call [phone] if you have questions or need to schedule a visit with our dentist, Dr. [doctor_name]. Our [practice_name] team in [city], [state] is here to help your smile thrive!