How to Maximize Your Teeth Whitening Results
You’ve invested in having your teeth professionally whitened, and you love the results! However, you need to take a few precautions to keep your teeth looking great.
Yes, You Actually Need to Floss
Around one in three American adults floss daily. In other words, roughly 60% of people are putting their oral health at risk by skipping a simple hygiene activity. Are you one of them?
At Century City Smiles and Orthodontics, our providers encourage everyone to floss. Even if you have wide spaces between your teeth or do the most thorough job of brushing possible, you still need to floss. Good dental hygiene includes brushing twice daily, flossing once daily, and seeing your dentist regularly.
Interdental cleaning
Floss is an interdental cleaning tool that is used to clean between teeth. No matter how carefully you brush, you can’t thoroughly clean between your teeth with only a toothbrush.
Along with the string floss that everyone is familiar with, other interdental cleaners include:
- Floss picks
- Pre-threaded flosses
- Tiny brushes designed to go between teeth
- Air flossers
- Water flossers
- Wooden plaque removers
It doesn’t really matter what tool you use as long as you clean between your teeth daily.
Why flossing matters
Your mouth is full of bacteria, and some of that bacteria thrives on the minuscule particles of food that stick to your teeth and collect along your gum line. The bacteria release acids that break down the sugars in the food, and over time, the acids begin to break down your enamel.
The best way to protect your enamel is to remove the plaque, or buildup of food and bacteria, on your teeth every day. You may think that brushing is enough, but it’s not.
Think about vacuuming a rug with a couch on it. Even if you vacuum carefully and frequently unless you move the sofa, some dirt and dust will collect under it that the vacuum can’t reach. It’s the same with your teeth—even thorough, daily brushing won’t remove the plaque your brush can’t reach.
Benefits of flossing
Removing bits of food from between your feels good. You’ve probably had the experience of having a piece of apple peel or a popcorn hull stuck between your teeth. It’s uncomfortable!
Flossing also helps you have fresh breath. Plaque and other debris break down as they sit between your teeth.
You’ll have fewer cavities if you floss daily. The plaque buildup breaks down your enamel, allowing bacteria to reach the soft inner part of your tooth. Once that happens, you have a cavity.
Gum disease is another consequence of plaque buildup. Over time, the plaque hardens and turns into tartar, which irritates and inflames your gums. When that happens, you have gingivitis.
If you don’t get gingivitis treatment, you’ll likely develop an infection called periodontitis. Your gums begin to pull away from your teeth, allowing bacteria to reach the roots of your teeth. Periodontitis can cause inflammation throughout your body.
Learn how to floss
Flossing seems pretty simple, but if you find it painful or difficult, it could be an issue with your technique. Our team is happy to help you learn to floss better or to suggest other interdental tools that may work better for you.
Schedule your appointment at Century City Smiles and Orthodontics today so we can evaluate your dental health and help you improve it.
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