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Medical Insider – Dr. Rhodora T. Entero

Medical InsiderDr Rhoda entero

All that we need to know about Flossing

(Part 4)


As we discuss Part 4 of this topic, we need to know the following about Flossing:

Prevents Gum Disease
Flossing before brushing, can save your teeth from gingivitis or gum disease.

Gum disease, which can progress to periodontal disease, is a mouth infection that destroys the bones and soft tissue that support teeth, thus making them loose over time. This issue happens when your teeth surface has too much bacteria and plaque.

Gum disease signs include the following:

Superior Plaque Removal
Brushing alone removes some of the plaque. Flossing alone removes interdental plaque but still requires some finishing touches. Brushing and flossing regularly can remove plaque quite well, but not well enough compared to flossing and brushing.

Plaque removal is important to prevent it from hardening to tartar within 24 to 36 hours (1 day to 1 ½ days), especially if you floss first before brushing.

The flossing and brushing combo effectively soften the plaque or allows you to get on top of the plaque problem before they become tartar or calculus that requires harder scraping from your toothbrush.

You need to spit out any remaining toothpaste in your mouth after you’ve flossed and brushed. However, don’t rinse your mouth.

This might confuse you. Many people are used to rinsing out their mouth with mouthwash or water after brushing their teeth. However, there’s a way to retain that fluoride while getting rid of that food debris.

Remember, You May Not Want to Rinse for Fluoride Retention
Of course, you need to rinse to get rid of food particles and bacteria. However, rinsing your mouth after brushing can wash away precious fluoride mineral that helps strengthen your teeth along with calcium.

You can also use fluoridated mouthwash, but it comes with the caveat of you not eating or drinking for at least half an hour after rinsing your mouth to get that fluoride action. (To be continued)

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