When it comes to oral health, most people have cultivated the habit of brushing their teeth at least once daily. However, flossing is a bit of a different story. Some of this is due to the perception that flossing is "optional." The truth is that whenever we don't floss, we don't clean the entire surface of our teeth. According to the American Dental Association (ADA), we miss cleaning about 35% of each tooth's surface when forget to floss daily. That's more than a third of the tooth's surface!
Flossing is a vital part of maintaining good lifelong, oral health and yet, 31% of Americans don't floss each day. Habits like flossing take time to develop, that's why it's great to start those habits young in childhood. Here are some easy ways that you can cultivate positive dental habits with your children and family.
Don't Over Think It, Just Do It!
A lot of the time people overthink flossing and simply just don't. The most committed flossers say they had to take time and effort to make it a habit. It doesn't even matter when you floss, as long as you do a thorough job! Many people have seen success picking a time of day and sticking to it. Parents who do morning and evening routines with their children can pick either time to add flossing as a focused activity.
While some people floss after brushing, it this thought that flossing before brushing actually gets the patient's teeth even cleaner. It really doesn't matter as long as it becomes a habit. Encouraging our patients and their families to floss regularly is our goal!
Some parents wonder when the right time is to start flossing with their child. We recommend that parents start flossing in between their child's teeth as soon as they have at least two teeth that touch. Due to the manual dexterity needed to properly floss, we recommend helping children floss until about the age of 11. Around this time they should be able to floss efficiently on their own with supervision.
Flossing Should Not Hurt!
We can't emphasize enough that cleaning between your child's teeth with floss should not hurt or cause pain in any way. In fact flossing too hard can actually damage gum tissue, even for adults. However, if you are too gentle, you may not get all of the food debris out. It definitely takes some patients, especially with teach children about flossing. Usually Dr. Casey will remind children how to floss properly when they come in for their dental cleanings, but she is always willing to spend a little extra time any child to be sure they are capable to flossing to the best of their ability.
Sometimes, if your child is just getting back into the habit or first starting to floss it may feel uncomfortable or abnormal. This is okay, this is not uncommon. If you child is feeling discomfort while flossing, don't give up. With daily brushing and flossing inbetween their teeth, that discomfort will ease in a short amount of time. In fact most patients get over the discomfort within just a week or two. However, it should never hurt or be painful. If flossing hurts or is causing pain to your child, contact Dr. Casey as soon as possible.
Why Is Flossing Important?
As mentioned earlier, when we don't floss we miss cleaning about 35% the surface of a tooth. What's being left behind is plaque, a sticky film that contains bacteria that feeds on any food or sugar debris leftover in your mouth. The process of those bacteria consuming food debris is that they later release an acid that then eats away at the outer shell of your teeth, known as the enamel, eventually causing cavities and even gum disease.
Any plaque that goes for too long without being removed by simply brushing and flossing can harden overtime into the rough substance we know as tartar or dental calculus. This tartar is known for collecting along the gumline and eventually leading to gum disease. Once this tartar starts to accumulate, the only safe way to remove it is by allowing a dental professional to do a cleaning.
The development of plaque, cavities, gum disease, and even many of the diseases associated with to the oral systemic link can be avoided by simply practicing positive oral health daily habits. This is one of the reasons that we strive to teach children good, daily oral habits starting when they're young. It is also why we have commited to equip parentswith information they need to give their children the best life-long oral and overall health.
Traditional Floss Isn't The Only Option Anymore
While most people who floss use traditional dental floss, there are other options that are comparable. It is important to choose the method that will be easiest for you and your family to continue habitually. Our recommendation is whatever works best for you. Here are some of the options that the American Dental Association (ADA) approves...
Traditional Dental Floss: Traditional dental floss is usually composed of one of theses two polymers or synthetic compounds, nylon or Teflon. They also come in waxed and unwaxed options, depending on what you prefer. The traditional dental floss that we use is based off of the 1815 invention of New Orleans dentist, Dr. Levi Spear.
Flosser Picks: Flosser picks are another great option for cleaning in between teeth. It is essentially a one-time use flossing product that adds efficiency to the process. These are great for travel, as well as children who may accessively use dental floss. We know a lot of families that uses these regularly at home, they come in simple designs and more fun designs for children.
Waterpiks: Waterpiks are a great solution for cleaning in between teeth. They have been around for a while, but have been making a recent comeback in popularity. They get in between teeth without wasting materials like other forms of flossing. It also can be a healthier option for individuals that have extra sensitive teeth or gums.
- Water Picks: Water picks are a great solution for cleaning in between teeth. They have been around for a while, but have been making a recent comeback in popularity. They get in between teeth without wasting materials like other forms of flossing. It also can be a healthier option for individuals that have extra sensitive teeth or gums.
Regardless of which option(s) you choose for your family, the key is ensuring that it encourages flossing on a regular basis. This is one of the reasons that the flosser pick and water pick options are growing in popularity, they are convenient and they also are reliable.
At Medical Center Children's Dentistry, we believe that using an interdental cleaner, such as floss, is an essential part of taking care of your teeth and gums. Traditional dental floss, flosser picks, and Waterpiks are all specially designed to clean between our teeth. The American Dental Association (ADA) is also not the only organization that believes we should prioritize flossing. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has also stated back in August 2016 that they believe flossing is "an important oral hygiene practice."
We believe that knowledge is power and we aim to inform our patient's parents and guardians as much as we can. For more oral health tips and facts, feel free to check out other articles by Dr. Casey or reach out to our office today.
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