Preventive dental care is basic to good dental health. Home hygiene must include daily flossing using correct technique. Read more about how Christopher J. Connolly DMD, Sewell, NJ dentist, wants his patients to floss.

Keeping your smile healthy and attractive takes more than a trip to the dentist. While preventative dental care–semi-annual exams,x-rays and cleanings–are critical, your Sewell, NJ dentist, Christopher J. Connolly DMD, stresses home hygiene. Daily brushing with a fluoride toothpaste removes plaque and food residues, stimulates circulation and freshens breath.

Flossing fights decay and gum disease

Part 2 of your daily routine is flossing to remove plaque between the teeth and at and below the gum line. It also removes debris from hard to reach places such as behind back molars. Flossing, together with brushing, fights the battle against decay and periodontal disease, major causes of tooth loss in American adults.

Know how to floss

The American Dental Association says that while flossing is important, many children, teens and adults either don’t do it consistently or floss incorrectly. So, Dr. Connolly and his associate dentists, John McCarty DMD and Christopher John Connolly DMD, ask patients to follow some simple steps for a successful floss.

Step 1

Choose an ADA-approved floss or flossing product that you like. If you like it, you will likely use it everyday. Whether you go with plain, flavored, waxed, thin or wide, establish flossing as a daily habit. People with braces or restorations, such as fixed bridgework, may choose interdental brushes (They look like tiny bottle brushes.), plastic picks, or threaded flossers.

Step 2

Take an 18” length of floss from the dispenser, and wind one end around each middle or index finger. As you  floss, wind the used end around one “take-up” finger.

Step 3

Stabilize a 1 to 2” length between your thumb and index finger, and gently slide the floss between 2 teeth. Many people start with the top front teeth. Key to successful flossing is being gentle. Don’t snap the floss against tender gums, but pull the floss into a “C” shape so you can move it up and down between the teeth.

Step 4

Glide the floss up and down between pairs of teeth until you have gone all the way around the mouth top and bottom. This should take 2 to 3 minutes. If you are not used to flossing, your gums may bleed a little and be tender for a few days, but this will subside as you establish the habit.

Step 5

Rinse your mouth thoroughly with water.

Help your teeth and gums be healthy for a lifetime

You can help make your smile the best it can be. Eat nutritious foods. Stay hydrated. See Dr. Connolly twice a year. Be disciplined about oral hygiene practices at home, including flossing correctly and consistently. Your active participation in good health practices is the best preventive dental service around.

Contact the office

Have you set-up your 6-month appointment? If not, contact the Sewell, NJ dental office of Dr. Christopher J Connolly today. Bring your questions about flossing and other ways you can achieve a bright, forever smile.