Dental floss

Dental floss

Brushing your teeth is the basis for keeping your mouth healthy. But with only an (electric) toothbrush you cannot really clean the space between your teeth.

If you don't remove plaque, it can become hard and calcify into tartar. New plaque easily sticks to tartar. The gums can become more inflamed.

1. 45 cm floss. Take about 45 cm of floss and wrap it loosely around your left middle finger and a small part around the right middle finger. Leave about 5 cm between your fingers.
2. Clean dental floss. When going from one space between the teeth to the next, twist off a bit from the left index finger and twist it up onto the right middle finger. This way you have a clean piece of floss every time.
3. Sawing movement. With your thumb and forefinger, hold the floss taut (“strak”) and gently move the floss forward and back between the teeth. Lay the floss in a c-shape around the tooth and then move forward and back to below the gum line. Do this on both sides.

 When you start using dental floss, it can be painful and the gums may bleed. Do not get scared by this, this is because the gums are inflamed. If you continue, the gingivitis, and therefore the pain and bleeding, will disappear. Note: Doing oral cleaning too much or not correctly can damage the teeth and gums.