Dental floss is a tooth-protecting tool that most Chinese people don’t know how to use. Do you know how to use it?

You should know that daily brushing can only clean the plaque and residual food residues on the cheek, tongue and occlusal surfaces, but it is difficult to thoroughly clean the "gap between teeth". The "gap between teeth" becomes a place for "filth and dirt", and the breeding of bacteria inside will quietly corrode your teeth. Therefore, dental floss, a tool that specializes in cleaning the gap between teeth, can completely remove plaque and achieve a more complete oral cleaning effect.

Whether it is the modified Bass brushing method or the correct use of dental floss, it is actually a process of practice makes perfect. Many friends and patients around me always complain that they don’t know how to use dental floss and it is very troublesome to use it. If you use it more, you will become proficient and get used to it.

How to use dental floss correctly: 1. Take a piece of dental floss about 30-40cm long, wrap both ends around the middle fingers of your left and right hands, and curl the middle fingers up;

2. The length of the dental floss between the two middle fingers should be just enough for the thumb to touch it directly. Use the thumb of one hand and the index finger of the other hand to straighten the dental floss.

3. When cleaning the upper front teeth, put your index finger into your mouth and tighten the dental floss with your thumb outside your mouth, so that the dental floss is close to the tooth surface on one side, and scrape the tooth surface up and down;

4. When cleaning the upper right back teeth, use the right thumb and the palm of the left index finger to tighten the dental floss, and the right thumb to pull the cheek apart; when cleaning the upper left back teeth, switch to the left thumb and the right index finger to hold the dental floss, and the left thumb to pull the cheek apart;

5. When cleaning all mandibular teeth, you can hold the wire with the index fingers of both hands and gently pass the teeth through the contact points;

6. When the dental floss passes through the contact point, gently apply force to make the dental floss reach the tooth surface below the contact point and enter the bottom of the gingival sulcus to clean the gingival sulcus area. If the contact point is tight, you can pull the dental floss to make a horizontal sawing motion on the contact point to make the dental floss gradually pass through the contact point. Keep the dental floss close to and wrap it around the tooth surface. Pull the upper line to scrape off food debris and plaque on the tooth surface. Scrape each tooth surface 4-6 times until the tooth surface is clean.

2. Application of dental floss 1. Time: It is best to use dental floss after meals;

2. User groups: If conditions permit (especially young and middle-aged people without large interdental spaces), dental floss should be used as much as possible to maintain long-term oral health;

3. Do not use too much force when flossing to avoid damaging the gums;

4. Most dental floss is disposable and cannot be reused. Reusing dental floss is harmful but has no benefits.

5. If you are not used to using dental floss, you can use a dental floss bow (stick) instead of ordinary dental floss. It is more convenient to use, but a little more expensive.

●Will using dental floss widen the gaps between teeth?
●No! Teeth have a certain physiological mobility.

Dental floss is relatively small, soft and elastic.

It can easily enter the interdental space without creating a wedging force on the teeth.