Family Dentist in Far North Dallas Explains How Flossing Prevents Tartar

Flossing. It’s such a small thing, and it can be difficult to gather the motivation to do it every single day. Does it really make that much of a difference in your oral health? Can it really prevent tartar buildup on your teeth? Why is tartar buildup bad in the first place? Get the answers to all your questions with your family dentist in Far North Dallas.

What is tartar?

To understand tartar, you also have to understand plaque, a sticky, white substance made up of the proteins in your mouth, bacteria, and food particles. Plaque houses the harmful bacteria that cause tooth decay and gum disease and tends to accumulate around the gumline and in between teeth where it is more difficult to reach. Within hours, plaque can start to harden or calcify into tartar, which is white, rough, and porous.

How does tartar affect my oral health?

Tartar allows the bacteria constant access to your teeth and gums. These bacteria produce acids that erode the tooth’s enamel causing decay. What starts out as small white spots can develop into dark decay penetrating deeper into the tooth. These acids also irritate the gums, causing gum disease. Without intervention, tartar leads to extensive damage to teeth, supporting tissue and bone, and gums and can eventually lead to tooth loss.

How does flossing help prevent tartar?

Think about all the surfaces between your teeth that your toothbrush can’t reach. Plaque can easily build up and calcify in these nooks and cause all sorts of problems. Flossing prevents plaque from having a chance to harden and wreak havoc on your teeth and gums. And, yes, you do need to floss at least once a day to make sure you catch the plaque before it turns into tartar. Once it does, only professional tools can remove it.

What is the proper way to floss?

Your hygienist or family dentist in Far North Dallas can demonstrate the proper way to floss, but here is the general process:

• Using a string of floss that is 18 inches in length, wrap most of one end around your middle finger. Wrap the rest around the other middle finger, leaving about three or four inches between your middle fingers.
• Hold the floss tightly with the thumb and forefinger of each hand.
• Guide the floss between your teeth using a gentle rubbing motion. Do not snap the floss into the gums.
• When the floss gets to the gum line, curve it into a C shape against one tooth. Slide it into the space between the gum and the tooth.
• Gently rub the side of the tooth with an up-and-down motion. Repeat this on the rest of your teeth.

If you implement flossing into your daily oral routine, your dental checkups will like go much smoother. You can prevent plaque from accumulating and turning into tartar, sparing your teeth from problems down the road. The small inconvenience of time is worth the effort to preserve your oral health in the long run. Make this necessary lifestyle change, and you’ll have a reason to smile for many years to come.

About the Practice

At Bear Creek Family Dentistry, patients in Dallas, Arlington, Mesquite, Euless, and Fort Worth can find all the dental services they need under one roof. Bear Creek Family Dentistry has board-certified specialists in pediatric dentistry, oral surgery, orthodontics, and prosthodontics. To contact them for an appointment, you can call 1-(888) 676-2327 or click here.