If you routinely skip flossing your teeth for days or months on end, you can actually be causing more harm for your smile than if you were to go without brushing your teeth. The American Dental Association encourages daily flossing as an essential component of caring for dental health, and we agree with their efforts. We urge you to floss once a day, every day, to protect your smile from cavities and gum disease.
While tooth brushing is also vital to your oral health, only flossing can remove plaque that gathers between the teeth or along the gum line since a toothbrush can’t access these areas. If you are unsure what time of day you should floss, we can tell you it doesn’t matter so long as you take a few minutes every day to enhance your dental health. Flossing before bed is popular because people want to compensate for the salivary glands, which work to neutralize bacteria but produce decreased amounts of saliva while you sleep.
If you are new to flossing or floss infrequently, you may experience some mild discomfort or bleeding for the first two weeks or so, but you should not be feeling real pain. If the discomfort persists beyond a few weeks or progresses to a sharper pain, we encourage you to contact Twin Falls Family Dentistry to schedule an oral exam.