Heroes Dental Says “Don’t Forget to Floss”

When it comes to your dental health, it is very easy to forget to do some of the more important things necessary to protect our teeth.

Whether it’s a busy schedule or a slip of the mind, these tasks frequently seem to get away from us.

Heroes Dental knows that the task that is most often overlooked is flossing. While some might try to excuse their family for not flossing by using mouthwash, the truth is that the two work best together.

#Flossing is not a not a substitute for mouthwash #HeroesDental #Tip Click To Tweet

It is vital that we help our kids develop good flossing habits early on, as it will go a long way towards maintaining a healthy smile. But it’s just as important as adults to maintain that routine.

The Basics of Flossing

A common excuse that comes up when talking about flossing is people claiming they don’t know to do it correctly. This, in turn, can have a domino effect on our little ones (remember that they will repeat the behaviors they see or don’t).

While you may not have the technique down perfectly, this shouldn’t stop you from learning the correct way. Good flossing can be achieved in just five simple steps:

1.    Cut yourself a piece of floss 18 inches long. Wrap the majority of the piece around one of your middle fingers and the remaining part on the opposite hand’s middle finger.
2.    Firmly hold about an inch of floss between your hands and move it in a sawing motion, gently, between your teeth.
3.   When you get to your gums, curve your floss into a C against the tooth.
4.   Use the floss to scrape the side of each tooth it is between, making sure to move away from your gums. Do this for every single tooth, even the ones that are hard to reach.
5.   Don’t let the soreness or bleeding that may occur be another reason not to floss. This is normal and in about a week your gums will be feeling much better once you’ve cleaned up.

Rinsing your mouth after you finish flossing is a great way to make sure that all the bacteria, plaque, and food particles get washed away and don’t make themselves at home again.

Dont forget to #rinse your mouth after #flossing #ToothTip Click To Tweet

Passing It On to Little Heroes

Just knowing how to properly floss and sharing it with your kids is not enough to ensure that they will make it a habit.

It is not a fun thing for anyone to do, regardless of age, and your children will need help following a good flossing schedule.

There a few things you can do, though, to help keep them on track when it comes to flossing:

Make it a Family Thing: The easiest way to keep tabs on whether your kids are flossing and following the correct steps is to be right there while it happens. If they see you doing it, it will go a long ways in teaching them how important it is and will also help you to remember to floss also.

Let Them Switch Out the String: Floss can be difficult for your children to manage and they might enjoy other options better. Having them use floss sticks or a water flosser can change the way they view flossing. The different colors and flavors of floss sticks and the ability to personalize a water flosser adds a bit of fun to what can be seen as a chore.

Reward Good Habits: It sometimes helps to know there is something concrete to take away from good habits. Your kids can’t always see the effects of good dental hygiene but they will respond to extra allowance or a new toy. Keeping track of flossing “streaks” with a constantly-changing prize can keep your kids interested in flossing.

Heroes Dental encourages you and your family to do all you can to take care of your smile.

However you look at it, flossing is a component of good dental health that just can’t be skipped over. It’s a habit your kids should develop early and one everyone should continue no matter how old they are.

Part of taking care of your smile also includes regular check-ups with your dentist and taking care of any emergencies that come up. That’s why you should contact any one of our Heroes Dental offices in Laredo, Mission, San Juan, Pharr or Edinburg and schedule your next visit.

Your family’s smiles are in good hands here at Heroes Dental.