Flossing Tips Courtesy of Your Wilmington Holistic Dentists

We all know that to have a healthy, beautiful smile you need to regularly brush and floss at home. However, while most people are good about brushing, sometimes it’s easy to skip flossing once each day. As your Wilmington holistic and biological dentist, we understand that you get busy, don’t have time, or just plain forget to floss. 

However, did you know that brushing alone is only effective at removing plaque and tartar from about 70 percent of your teeth? Flossing gets deep into the unexposed parts of your teeth to remove harmful bacteria and buildup. 

What Type of Floss Should I Use?

Did you know that there are so many dental floss products on the market that can actually be toxic to you and your teeth? The material used to make it is also less and friendly to our environment. Your holistic and biological dentists in Wilmington will tell you that the most toxic form of floss is teflon. It contains something called polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) which is commonly used as a non-stick coating for pans or cookware.

It’s best to use an unwaxed floss too because the wax can adhere to your teeth preventing minerals in your saliva from entering the teeth which can affect your body’s remineralization process. What’s really good for your teeth is if you can coat your floss in oil infused with ozone. Your Wilmington holistic and biological dentists love treating teeth with ozone because it’s antibacterial and can minimize its growth. Ozone is also beneficial for neutralizing acids that can damage your tooth enamel. 

Why Floss Like a Boss?

While it’s really good to floss your teeth after every meal, we understand that’s not always possible. However, it’s important to floss at least once a day to:

• Removal food particles – Even if you have the Maserati’s of toothbrushes, you still won’t be able to reach all of the food particles and debris trapped in your teeth. 
• Put plaque in its place – When you have a thin layer of bacteria on your teeth, that’s what we refer to as plaque. Within a few days it can start to harden forming tartar and damaging your smile. 
• Say goodbye to gingivitis – Do you experience bleeding gums? Gingivitis could be the culprit. Gum inflammation like this can lead to unwanted discomfort and bad breath. Flossing helps keep gums healthy.

Do you need an appointment with us at our holistic and biological dental office in Wilmington? Getting on the schedule is easy and convenient! Talk to us today about setting up a hassle-free consultation where you’re free to ask questions and learn more about us while we do the same with you!