Request Request Appointment Like Us Like us on Facebook Reviews Read Our Reviews Call Give us a Call Map View our Map

Healthy Gums Benefit from Regular Flossing

December 10, 2018

Filed under: Blog — wemakeyousmile @ 7:36 pm

With all the delicious food that we eat during the holidays, it’s is a good time to remind ourselves that it’s important to clean between our teeth, too.
Flossing is a great way to reduce your risk of gum disease and tooth decay.
We also want you to know that if you do develop a periodontal infection, George A. Hoop, DDS, is more than qualified to help. Before deciding to focus on general dentistry, Dr. Hoop was a periodontist, which is a specialist in gum health.
To make an appointment at either our North Naples or Fort Myers, FL location, call (239) 594-8817 today. We want to keep you smiling.

Brushing Isn’t Enough

Brushing your teeth is an excellent way to remove plaque and bacteria from most of your smile. However, your toothbrush is not as effective at removing food particles from the spaces between your teeth or between your teeth and gums. Those particles can become fuel for bacteria, which can lead to decay and periodontal problems that you want to avoid.
Flossing is an effective way to clean these parts of your mouth.
Now, you can “floss” a few different ways:

  • Use dental floss — Dental floss may be the best-known way to clean between teeth. Flossing is available is a variety of styles, widths, and even flavors.
  • Use a flosser — Surveys show that less than half of Americans floss daily (as the ADA recommends). Many people don’t like using, won’t, or can’t use dental floss. Flossers make this easier by attaching a strand of floss to a short handle.
  • Use a water flosser — Instead of a using string-like material, this tool creates a stream of water that you can aim to clean between your teeth and gums. This flushes out food, bacteria, and plaque. You can find water flossers in a range of styles and prices.

The most important thing is not which interdental tool you use. Instead, do your best to make this a consistent part of your daily oral hygiene routine along with brushing.

Prevention is Your Best Option

As we noted above, Dr. Hoop is more than qualified to take care of gum infections. However, it’s better for your oral health to prevent those kinds of problems from the start.
That’s why you should schedule routine dental cleanings and exams in addition to your daily hygiene habits. Having a dental professional look at your mouth can make a big difference in your long-term oral health.
We can spot symptoms of gum disease in the early stages, so you can get less invasive treatment if any is needed.
At home, looks for signs like red, swollen gums or gums that bleed when you brush or floss. This could be an indication that you aren’t flossing as often as you should. If that doesn’t help, please call us at (239) 594-8817 or contact us online. We would rather fix a small problem today than a big one tomorrow.