FLOSSING EXCUSES DEBUNKED PART IIGreetings once again from the Dental Optimizer! We're still thinking of newer and better ways to make dental care more accessible to more people. Right now we're hammering away on flossing. Overall, Americans floss way less than they should and therefore bear a burden of costly cavities and long-term consequences. (You may shrug off tooth loss or extraction but wait until it happens to you. Better yet, don't wait, take care of your teeth and keep your teeth.) As we said before: we're shocked by some of the lax flossing attitudes even here in our office so we're chipping away at the excuses in hopes that your teeth themselves might not chip away.

I don't Know HowWe'll accept that but only if your agree to learn.

Here are a few tips to make your flossing more effective.

-Make sure you use enough floss. You want a clean space of floss for each space between your teeth.-Use it smoothly. Slide the floss between your teeth using zigzag motion. Don't let it snap or pop into place.-Wrap the floss in a “c” shape around each side of each tooth and move it up and down.-Don't forget to floss on the back side of each tooth.

We'll have some more comprehensive flossing instructions in out next installment.

I Can't Get the Floss In ThereHave you tried waxed floss? It can help you slide it in

there. There are also products like Glide or Gentle Slide that can get the results you want without too much force. If you're using too much force you can cause damage to your gums which will lead to some of the problems that flossing is supposed to prevent. If you've tried every floss on the market and it's still getting stuck, see your dentist about other options. You will get in there!

The Floss is ShreddingThis may be connected to the tightness we talked about above

but it's also possible that you've got a broken filling or crown or tooth in there. Definitely bring this one up with your dentist.

I Can't Afford ItWe won't accept this one and neither will your dentist.

Cavities, even when you have excellent insurance, are expensive. (You can go to our Cost Calculator on the Dental Optimizer to see just how much in your area.) Compare three dollars a month (which would buy you a lot of floss) with your copay on a filling. Even if you have to put your floss on a credit card or ask your dentist for extra samples, do it!

Thanks for reading more of our flossing manifesto. At the end of the day, we're really trying to help you have a better time with your teeth so that they will last a lifetime. Flossing is a hated task but it's also one that has immediate, tangible payoffs as your teeth feel better and your dental visits become fewer and more pleasant. As we said last time, dental health really is a situation where an ounce of prevention truly equals a pound of cure so let's stay ahead of decay and keep flossing!

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