Flossing is a key component of maintaining healthy teeth and oral hygiene. It’s important to floss properly to avoid plaque and tartar buildup. Here are some common flossing mistakes to avoid.
1. Forgetting to floss both sides of your teeth.
When flossing, be sure to scrape both sides of your teeth with the dental floss. It’s not enough to simply floss between your teeth. You need to scrape against both sides of your teeth to push the plaque off.
2. Flossing too much or too little.
It is recommended that you floss once daily to prevent plaque and tartar build up. If you only floss every few days, the harmful bacteria builds up, leading to a number of dental issues. If you floss to frequently, you can cause irritation of the gums. Set your routine to floss either in the morning or the evening and you’ll be on your way to great oral hygiene.
3. Flossing too quickly.
Flossing properly takes time, and doing a once-over while flossing simply isn’t enough. Floss until you hear your teeth squeak. That’s how you know your teeth are squeaky clean!
4. Using too little floss.
It’s important to use clean sections of floss as you move around your mouth to avoid spreading bacteria between your teeth. If one part of your gums has an infection, you may end up spreading that infection to other parts of your mouth and gums.
5. Not flossing behind your back teeth.
Though there isn’t a tooth next your back teeth, it is still important to clean behind the four teeth that in the back of your mouth. Bacteria grows on the back sides of your back teeth, and flossing will help remove that bacteria that has made its way between your tooth and gums.