When you think of your dental hygiene routine throughout the day, you may realize that you brush and then floss. Oftentimes, that is how dentists verbalize it. "Make sure you brush and floss," is more than likely what you hear! But are we supposed to brush and then floss or floss and then brush?
Surprisingly, a study has found that flossing first followed by brushing with a fluoride toothpaste is more effective in removing interdental plaque! Flossing before brushing results in greater fluoride retention. When you floss, it loosens the bacteria, plaque, and any other harmful residue between your teeth.
To maximize your dental hygiene routine, make sure to FLOSS FIRST... Then brush (ideally with an electric brush with soft bristles). This way, more particles are flushed out from those hard-to-reach spaces and fluoride can seep into the cracks!
But... HOW DO WE INCORPORATE FLOSSING MORE INTO OUR DAILY ROUTINE?
According to an ADA survey, only 16% of respondents floss at least once a day, 20% reported they floss only when they feel something is stuck in their teeth, and 8% never floss. More than half reported they do not floss because it takes them too long. It is recommended that you floss anywhere from 1 minute, 30 seconds, to 3 minutes.
-Choose a time of day that you are going to floss
-Put your floss next to your toothbrush (do not hide the floss in the back of a drawer!)
-Set a reasonable goal of FLOSSING BEFORE YOU BRUSH for 3 or 4 days. (Once you've reached this goal, extend it another 3 days. Eventually it will become part of your routine!)
If it has been awhile since you've had a professional cleaning, make sure to send us a call here at Harte Dental! Enjoy a thorough cleaning from our award-winning clinical team! Voted Favorite Dentist in the Milton Scene, Best Dentist in Milton in the Milton Times, and Top Dentist in the Boston Magazine! Call today at (617) 696-5257!
Info from: Should You Brush or Floss First? New Study Suggests the Ideal Sequence for Removing Plaque. American Academy of Periodontology. https://www.perio.org/press-release/new-study-suggests-the-ideal-sequence-for-removing-plaque/.