Sticking to Your New Year’s Resolution to Consistently Floss

With the New Year here, you’ve committed to making improvements in your dental health. While you brush your teeth consistently, your flossing habits have been a little sporadic. Your goal is to make this a regular part of your dental hygiene routine. To ensure you stay on track and achieve your goal of excellent dental health in 2021, continue reading to get some expert tips from a dentist in Duncanville!

Why Toothbrushing isn’t Enough

Toothbrushing is a huge part of maintaining healthy teeth and gums, but it isn’t enough by itself. It only covers around 60% of the surfaces of your teeth. To clean the rest, you need to floss, as the pliable material allows for maneuvering between the tight spaces. In addition to helping to prevent cavity formation, it will remove bacteria that gather along the gum line.

How to Stick to Your Flossing Goal

Forming a new habit can be a little challenging at first, which is why it helps to have a well thought out strategy in place. Here are some tips to help you lock in:

Develop a Flossing Schedule

Admittedly, flossing can take longer than brushing, but don’t let this deter you. If you’re really pushed for time, you can initially start by only flossing once a day. To be consistent, establish a time to do it. For example, if you have some extra down time after eating lunch, take advantage of it by flossing.

Master Your Technique

Many people get frustrated with flossing because it requires more dexterity than brushing. The better your technique is, the easier it will be.

Carefully work the floss between your teeth using a back-and-forth motion and form the material into a “C” shape to thoroughly remove debris. Follow this pattern until you’ve cleaned all your teeth.

Use What Best Suits You

If you find normal floss to be too difficult, don’t give up. An alternative is to purchase floss picks. The disposable tools allow you to still clean between your teeth without having to follow the typical method of pulling individual strands of floss from a container. You can use a single pick to clean all your teeth and simply discard it after you’re done.

Don’t be Afraid of a Little Blood

You can expect slight gum bleeding when you first start flossing. That’s because your gums won’t be accustomed to the stimulation. With consistent and proper effort, this should subside after a couple of sessions. If the bleeding persists, bring it to your dentist’s attention.

By following these steps, you can confidently achieve your New Year’s resolution to floss consistently. As a result, you’ll have a healthy and attractive set of teeth to display when you smile for photos and meet new people!

About the Author

At Bear Creek Family Dentistry, our staff is fully committed to meeting all your dental needs. Whether it’s preventive, restorative or cosmetic dentistry, you can count on receiving expert and compassionate care at our Duncanville office. For more information or to schedule an appointment, visit our website.