Tuesday, October 13, 2009

How do you floss YOUR teeth?

ok ... do you brush then floss?.
or... do you floss then brush?.I brush my teeth then i floss them and then i will brush them again...how do you do it?.
and why?
Answer:
brush floss brush
You should floss, then brush. Or, you may brush, floss, then rinse with water. The reason being, that flossing gets the food and bacteria out between your teeth. You do not want to brush excessively, like you're saying you do. That is extremely hard on the enamel of your teeth. And once the enamel is worn away, it's gone. There is such a thing as brushing too much, too hard, and too often. The ADA (American Dental Association) recommends twice a day, or after every meal.
Either way, I like to break routines.
I understand it is important to floss carefully not to damage the gums.
I think you should brush then floss and rinse with water.
I think the reason why you floss is because you brushed and could have missed some in between your teeth, so you floss and then rinse. But this is my opinion, Its all up to you! :-)
I brush, then floss. Doing it this way is like doing the detail work after doing the general work.When I floss, I use the Reach Access Daily Flosser (the floss is on a small horseshoe of plastic, which is mounted on a toothbrush-like handle), mainly because I have a small mouth and compartively large fingers. So now I'm able to reach all of my teeth.
If you are thorough with both processes, you will get the plaque off. I tell patients it really doesn't matter, just do it. I truly don't believe you will damage your enamel by brushing to much. If you are using a soft brush. Your root surface is another matter. It is not made of enamel and if using too aggressive back and forth motions and/or using a firm brush, yes, it will wear away. Enamel is the hardest substance in your body. Keeping it clean is far better than letting plaque bugs and acids eat it away.
I do often tell patients if they are having a hard time getting into the habit of flossing that they should floss first then brush. You know you'll brush, so if you get the flossing over with first, then for sure you will brush. Make sense??

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