I know it seems strange to have a blog about flossing your teeth. But itβs one of the best things we can do for our body β right up there with not eating trans-fats and drinking plenty of water. Let me tell you as an esthetician and a lash technician I am close to peoplesβ faces all day long and yβall need to be told. Letβs put the vanity stuff first because I know you donβt care about heart disease.
When you donβt floss, you get bits of rotten food in between your teeth and it smellsβ¦really bad. Secondly, when you donβt floss you get a buildup of plaque on your teeth, I donβt know about you, but I would never take advice from someone if they have 3mm of plaque running from their gumline to their teeth, I donβt hear a word theyβre saying. All Iβm thinking is βwhy doesnβt this person take care of her body? Doesnβt she know everyone can see the crud attached to her teeth?β Itβs a cesspool of bacteria and I have no other choice to but to believe you donβt have good personal hygiene in every aspect of your life. Also the pink, inflamed gums freak me out. They look like they are going to burst at the slightest touch.
People are judging you. There, I said it.
Now let me tell you medically what happens TO THE REST OF YOUR BODY when you donβt floss. Thatβs right, the problem is not isolated to your mouth. According to WebMD, gum disease is linked to heart disease, rheumatoid arthritis, diabetes, premature birth and more. WebMD is not sure how your gum health and the rest of your body is connected, but they believe the bacteria left in your mouth, ends up in your bloodstream.
Those who floss are more likely to keep their teeth longer, rather than needing dentures. Flossing takes less than a minute. LESS THAN ONE MINUTE and it is a sexy habit to have β unless youβre doing it all wrong.
Get this; Iβve talked to my gal pals about their flossing routines and quite a few of them have told me they were flossing βtoo hard.β Instead of gently sliding (in a saw-like motion) the flossing between their teeth, they were forcing the string down, thus causing damage to their gumline. So here are some quick doβs and donβts Iβve learned:
DO
Gently slide the floss in a back and forth motion down between each tooth. Then go left and right without forcing the floss to go too far.
Use waxed floss at first, it helps to gently get between the teeth. I used an unwaxed floss sometimes to get the in-betweens extra clean.
Donβt forget the very back teeth β the way back ones, even though there is not a tooth on the other side of them, you can still build up plaque and food can still hide back there.
Try to relax your cheeks and mouth while flossing. Stretching your mouth open causes tension which prevents you from getting the teeth in the back.
Brush your teeth afterwards and be sure to rinse.
DONβT
Donβt be forceful with the floss. Your gums are delicate and you can easily cut them. Go slow and use the back and forth motion mentioned above.
Donβt forget to go side to side, in order to get underneath the tooth.
Donβt believe that everyone once in a while is enough. Floss at least four times a week. Thatβs the minimum.
And donβt forget, people can see if youβre not flossing.
Leave a Reply