It’s that time of year to start thinking about your New Year’s resolution. If you’ve been worried about your oral health lately, then one change you could make is to add flossing to your everyday dental hygiene routine; doing so could go a long way toward helping you avoid gum disease and cavities in 2023! The following post explores why flossing is so important as well as a few tips for helping you turn it into a habit.
Why Flossing is Important
Brushing twice a day helps remove much of the harmful plaque that can lead to dental issues. However, your toothbrush can’t effectively clean the spaces between your teeth, meaning bacteria and food particles can easily accumulate in these areas. The longer you leave these spaces uncleaned, the more likely the bacteria living there are to cause problems.
Flossing is the most reliable way to break up any plaque that has formed in the hard-to-reach nooks and crannies of your mouth. Doing so helps lower your overall risk of gum disease and interproximal cavities (as in, cavities that form between the teeth). It also helps you get rid of trapped bits of food that can potentially cause bad breath.
Tips for Making Flossing a Habit
Of course, you probably won’t make the leap from “never flossing at all” to “flossing every day” overnight; after all, it takes time to pick up a new habit. Thankfully, there are a few tricks that can help you get used to flossing regularly:
- Leave yourself some kind of reminder so that you don’t forget to floss. It could be an alarm on your phone, a sticky note on your bathroom mirror, or even just your dental floss sitting on your toothpaste.
- Set realistic goals so that you can make the transition at a pace that works for you. You might start by flossing twice a week at first. Then, you can move up to three days a week and continue the process until you’re flossing daily.
- Pick the right tool for the job. Some people might have trouble using traditional dental floss effectively. Floss picks and water flossers can help make the job easier.
- Give yourself a reward for sticking to your flossing routine. For example, if you have a favorite show, you might wait until you’ve flossed for a certain number of days to catch up on it.
It may take some time to get used to flossing, but once you do, it can do wonders for improving your overall oral health. If flossing isn’t already part of your routine, New Year’s is the perfect time to start making that change.
About Our Practice
At Elevate Dental, Dr. Michael Gibilisco and Dr. Kristen Gibilisco use their combined years of experience and the latest dental technology to provide families in Colchester with high-quality oral health care. During your regular preventive checkups, they’re more than happy to offer tips on flossing and other steps you can take at home to protect your smile. To schedule a consultation at Elevate Dental, visit our website or call (802) 658-4873.