Tips for using dental floss

The appearance of cavities, bad breath, plaque or tartar build-up are some of the most common oral health problems. In this post we explain why using dental floss is important and how it should be used. Keep reading!

Using dental floss is very important to maintain proper oral hygiene, as it improves cleaning both between the teeth and around the gums, helping to prevent the appearance of cavities, bad breath and even periodontal diseases, such as gingivitis or periodontitis.

Dental floss is a fine filament designed to remove bacteria and food debris that may be found between the teeth and gums.

Why is using dental floss important?

When we use the toothbrush we are only removing and eliminating plaque found on the surface and in this way it is not possible to remove the plaque that remains between the teeth.

This is where the need to use dental floss comes in, as this product reaches those places that conventional cleaning does not reach.

Types of dental floss

We can distinguish between two types of dental floss:

• Nylon dental floss: These are multifilament dental flosses, made up of several nylon fibres. They tend to fray and come in a variety of flavours.
• PTFE dental floss (monofilament): These dental flosses slide more easily between the teeth. However, their price is higher compared with the previous type.

When should it be used?

Dental floss should be used once a day. Experts recommend doing this cleaning at night before going to sleep, because at this time of day we have more dirt around the gums and therefore need more time for cleaning.

Likewise, during our night-time rest, little saliva is produced and we have more food remains. These two factors encourage the appearance of cavities.

How to use dental floss?

To use dental floss, the following technique should be followed:

1. Take a piece of dental floss of around 40-50 centimetres, wind most of it around one hand and also around the other hand between the thumbs and index fingers, leaving around 5 centimetres to work with.
2. Insert the floss in a curved shape and gently with up-and-down movements against the tooth, never against the gum.
3. As we use the clean floss, we wind it up with the other hand.
4. After use, throw the dental floss in the bin.

Oral-B: dental floss

Oral-B Super Floss dental floss

First, we have this dental floss designed for corrective treatments, such as orthodontics or bridges, which require greater hygiene.

Oral-B 3D White Luxe Mint Dental Floss

Finally, we find this whitening dental floss product, which helps remove superficial interdental stains.

On the Farmaciasdirect website you can find a wide variety of dental flosses and other products to care for your oral hygiene.