If you want to keep your teeth and gums as healthy as possible, flossing needs to be part of your daily oral healthcare routine. Along with brushing twice per day, using mouthwash, and visiting the dentist every 6 months, flossing is one of the biggest contributors to a healthy mouth.

Of course, many people find flossing inconvenient, or they don’t like doing it. Floss picks have become popular in recent years as an alternative to traditional waxed dental floss, but do they work as well? The team at ZDental has some information for you about dental floss, floss picks, and which one is best for your oral health.

Traditional Dental Floss

Waxed dental floss allows you to clean the spaces in between your teeth, removing plaque and food particles to prevent them from becoming harmful tartar buildup. Unfortunately, it can be inconvenient to carry dental floss on you, and it is only as effective as your technique.

For best results, take about 18 inches of dental floss and wind it around your fingers. Next, slide the floss up and down between each tooth, making sure to get around the entire tooth and below the gumline. The best way to do this is by making the floss into a “C” shape, so it can surround each tooth and cover the most surface area. If you don’t floss very often, this can cause the gums to bleed, but don’t worry; with regular flossing, your gums will become healthier and the bleeding will stop.

Floss Picks

Floss picks are a great alternative to traditional dental floss that make it much easier to carry floss with you wherever you go! Floss picks also have a toothpick at the end of the handle so you can get rid of stubborn food particles more easily. While floss picks are certainly more convenient, most dentists agree that they are not as effective as traditional dental floss at cleaning between your teeth.

Because a floss pick only uses a short piece of dental floss, it is difficult to make the proper “C” shape that is most effective for cleaning teeth. Floss picks also require you to use the same piece of dental floss to clean each tooth, rather than using a clean bit of floss for each tooth like you can with traditional floss. Because of this fact, floss picks can potentially introduce bacteria in between the teeth and under the gumline, rather than cleaning those areas.

The Verdict: Which One is Better?

While both types of floss can be effective at cleaning between your teeth and below the gumline, traditional dental floss is considered much more effective. By using the proper flossing technique, you can greatly improve the health of your teeth and gums with waxed dental floss. Of course, using floss picks is better than not flossing, so if you do find flossing terribly inconvenient, floss picks may be the best option for you.

At ZDental, we would suggest using traditional dental floss once per day after brushing and carrying some floss picks with you to clean out food particles when you are on the go. That way, you can take advantage of all the benefits of each type. Your dentist can provide more information about the best flossing technique and the tips on how to keep your teeth healthy on the go. If you need dental care near Trenton, New Jersey or in the Philadelphia area, ZDental has 5 locations to serve you!

Visit our contact page to find the location that works best for you and call or request an appointment online today!