Should I Floss Before I Brush or After I Brush My Teeth
I’ve decided to use the questions I get from clients as blog posts. I’m on a challenge for the month of December to write a blog post a day, so that when January hits, I’m ready to take it on! This is a question I get often, so I figured it was a good place to start.I’d say a majority of people floss after brushing, but I’m pretty sure it’s just because that is what they are trained to do.
People that floss first will tell you time and time again that they feel it is vital to get the bits out before they brush, so that when they finish, they are clean and ready to go. Then there are those that don’t do the two of them together (this is usually the category I fall into).
I get my flossing done while sitting at the computer, or while watching tv. Occasionally, I will floss in the car when I am stopped at a red light. Truth be told, I’m not the biggest fan of floss, and I feel that because of the wonderful world of advertising, we place too much emphasis on it.
Cleaning teeth for years has allowed me to see in many mouths, and it’s not very often that I see people who are effective flossers. More often than not, people are quick in and out, or they push deep into the gums and create a cleft, or void in the gums where they traumatize the tissue daily .Now onto the question of floss types and what is best. Again this one depends on your personal situation.
My personal favorite is the Natural Silk Floss by Radius, which is biodegradable, doesn’t contain chemicals, is made from organic silk and spun in Candelilla wax to help slide through tight spaces.
Cranberry Floss by Radius is a great option for vegans, and both are very earth conscious.A smooth Teflon style floss (Glide for example) will pass through the contacts easily, but it really doesn’t pick up much of anything.
It does, however break the matrix (outer shell) of the plaque so that your saliva can wash it away (I am really not a fan of these styles of floss, mainly because they give a false sense of cleanliness).Yarn style floss (Butler Gum Expanding or Bio Floss from Dr. Collins) will not only get more food and debris out from in between the teeth, they are designed not to shred in most cases.
