Flossing Properly

At the dental office of Dr. Christopher Emuedue, we want you and your family to continue healthy oral care routines at home. Regular flossing is essential to maintaining oral health and you should floss once a day, either before or after brushing. To get the most benefit out of flossing, remember these tips:

• Using a strand of dental floss about 18 inches long allows you to use a clean portion of floss between each tooth.


• Wrapping the ends of the floss around a finger on each of your hands gives you the best control.


• To floss, slide the floss between each tooth and rub the floss back and forth up until you reach your gums.


• Pushing at your gums too hard with floss can cause damage, and isn’t necessary to floss properly. Gently rub the floss up to one gum, then down and back up towards the other.


• As you move on to the next tooth, adjust the floss to expose an unused portion.


• Repeat this rubbing motion between each tooth and behind the back teeth.

 To learn more about flossing, oral hygiene, and all the services we provide, visit GreenvilleFamilyDentistryTX.com for more information. To schedule an appointment with Dr. Christopher Emuedue at Greenville Family Dentistry, located at 7215 I-30, Suite B, Greenville, Texas, 75402, call 903-455-6701.

Cleaning Fixed Bridges

When patients at Greenville Family Dentistry get permanent bridges, we strive to ensure their new restorations last. Oral hygiene remains important for people with prosthetic teeth, but there are a few changes in habit they will need to make.

Keeping a fixed bridge clean of plaque requires that the gap between it and the gum line be flossed. To loop the floss around the bridge, patients will use a threader, which is a floppy device shaped like a sewing needle. People who have worn braces are already familiar with it. Patients might also be interested in specialty floss which has stiffened ends, allowing it to be pushed through the gap.

Christmas tree brushes, also known as proxy brushes, are another useful tool, particularly with implant-supported bridges which have larger gaps separating them from the gums. These brushes can be attached to longer handles for ease of use. Makers of electric toothbrushes and water picks are also manufacturing tips for use on implants, including those supporting multiple teeth.

Dr. Christopher Emuedue operates Greenville Family Dentistry at 7215 I-30, Suite B, Greenville, Texas, 75402. To schedule an appointment, call 903-455-6701 or visit GreenvilleFamilyDentistryTX.com and fill out a contact sheet.

 

Flossing Refresher

Flossing is vital to protect the in-between surfaces of your teeth. Greenville Family Dentistry of Greenville, TX wants to provide a quick refresher on how to floss to help your next visit be cavity-free!

To start flossing, take about eighteen inches of floss and wrap the two ends around your middle fingers for a tight grip. Leave about two inches in between your hands to floss with. You should use a new section of floss for each time you go in between teeth, so rotate the floss as you go. Make sure to get in between all of your teeth; do not leave any out.

The proper way to floss is by sliding the floss between two teeth and rubbing the floss back and forth until you reach your gums. Do not hit your gums with the floss hard, as this could injure your gums. Instead use a gentle swooping motion at your gum line, and then continue rubbing the floss all the way back up and out. Do this same process every time.

Flossing should be done every day. There are some who like to floss after brushing, and some who like to floss before. Studies have shown that it really does not matter when you floss, any time will get the job done. It is just important to clean the teeth of the plaque that builds up and can cause decay.

For your routine teeth cleaning, schedule an appointment with Greenville Family Dentistry here in Greenville, TX. Call us at (903) 455-6701 or visit www.greenvillefamilydentistrytx.com.