Flossing and water flossers- What you need to know

The importance of brushing twice daily is reinforced time and again but many often ignore the important aspect of maintaining oral hygiene around the teeth through another important medium: dental floss. Though a second fiddle to brushing, there are many types of teeth floss, and below you will get all the information you’ll need to help you choose the best dental floss for your oral health.

What is flossing?

Flossing means to clean the neck of your teeth, below the gum line. The floss may come either in the form of a string, which you gently insert between your teeth and move in a back and forth direction while maintaining contact with the surface of the tooth, or it may be a water flosser or water floss pick, a mechanized version where the flossing action is provided by a high-speed water jet. These are also called oral irrigation devices or oral irrigators.

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Do you need to floss even if you brush your teeth twice daily?

Brushing and using mouthwashes are not very efficient in removing the thin film of plaque that gets deposited not only on the surface of your teeth but also below your gum line. The plaque found below your gum line is not easily accessible with a toothbrush. An interesting fact – mouthwashes can never remove plaque; they only prevent it from being accumulated on the teeth. This why using dental floss is very beneficial.

Plaque is excessively detrimental to your oral health since it harbors bacterial colonies. These bacteria cause inflammation and irritation of the gums and can cause bleeding from the gums due to an increase in their blood supply in response to the activation of your immune system. At this stage, the gum disease, also called gingivitis, is reversible i.e. once the plaque is removed, the inflammation subsides and the gums are restored to their normal health. However, if the gum disease is ignored, the plaque mineralizes to form a hardened ‘calculus’ or ‘tartar’, which can cause bone desorption around the teeth, and thus the bone support is lost. This progressive gum disease, also called periodontitis, is irreversible in nature and will eventually lead to tooth loss. Therefore, it is highly imperative to brush and floss your teeth to prevent the accumulation of plaque in the first place.

How to use floss?

ADA recommends flossing at least once a day for optimum results. For this, pluck off at least 18 inches of regular floss and fold it onto your thumb and index finger of opposing hands. Gently tease the floss in between your teeth and hold it tight against the surface of the tooth. Rub it back and forth and up and down on the tooth simultaneously. This motion will remove the plaque and debris from below your gums. Repeat it for all teeth and don’t forget the backside of the last tooth of your arch.

With a water flosser, you just have to guide its tip around the teeth and the water jet does the rest of the work. The high pressure of the jet is sufficient to dislocate the debris and plaque from below the gums.

What is the difference between regular floss and a water flosser?

The efficiency factor is the primary difference between regular dental floss and water flossers. Just as the electric toothbrush is more effective at cleaning teeth than a manual toothbrush, the same applies to flossing. Furthermore, the water flosser is more convenient to use around dental braces, dental crowns, and bridges while also saving time when compared to manual flossing. Regular floss may damage your gums if you use it aggressively but with water flossers the probability is negligible.

How to choose a water flosser?

Any water flosser is an oral irrigation device to help remove maximum bacteria. The Dr. Trust water flosser removes 99.9% bacteria, providing maximum possible protection from gum disease. What makes it the best water flosser choice is the portable, cordless design and easily rechargeable battery. Filling water in the device is convenient and water capacity easily accommodates longer flossing sessions. Dr Trust oral irrigator water flosser has 3 modes of operation namely: normal, soft, and pulsed, which can be easily adapted according to the health demands of your teeth. For example, for sensitive teeth, using the pulse or soft more would be most beneficial and safe.

Lastly, the water pressure of 40-90 psi has high efficacy in removing plaque and debris trapped between teeth, not to mention the waterproof design of Dr Trust oral irrigator.