How To Use Dental Floss Uk>If you want to keep your teeth healthy and avoid cavities, dental floss is a useful tool. Using dental floss can help you clean the spaces between your teeth where your toothbrush might have missed. Prevention of gum disease and tooth decay are two additional benefits of using dental floss daily. Plaque and tartar can accumulate in the spaces between your teeth if you don’t use dental floss regularly. Especially the rear teeth need to be cleaned thoroughly along their full length.
The floss should initially be held firmly between the thumb and index finger. You’ll have better command of the flossing process if you do this. After that, you should place one end of the floss between two of your teeth on either side of your mouth by wrapping it around your middle finger. The sugar in gum or sweets stimulates saliva production, which in turn kills bacteria on your teeth, so move it gently up and down on each tooth surface numerous times.
Dental floss is a thin thread of nylon that when pulled between the teeth, removes food particles and debris. You probably knew these things already, but did you know there are lots of different kinds of dental floss? Here I’ll explain each type, what they’re best for, pricing and where to buy. Read on to learn more on does flossing create gaps in teeth and why flossing is bad.
How To Use Dental Floss Uk
Flossing is a really important part of your oral hygiene routine. It can help dislodge food particles that have become stuck between your teeth during the day and reduce the amount of plaque and bacteria that builds up on your teeth and gums.
When plaque isn’t removed and is left on the surface of your teeth, it can contribute to further issues, such as cavities and gum disease. Brushing alone only cleans around 60% of your teeth, and therefore, both flossing and brushing together keeps your teeth clean and your mouth free from further health issues.
According to a recent YouGov study, only 31% of people in the UK floss daily. However, even for those who do floss daily, the process can be ineffective and potentially harmful for your teeth and gums if practised improperly. If you are unsure how to floss properly, or if you have simply never been shown, here’s a basic step-by-step guide on everything you need to know about flossing.
How to use dental floss
When it comes to effectively removing plaque and dislodging food from your teeth, you need to be sure you’re using the correct flossing technique. Before starting to floss, you should always wash your hands thoroughly as you will be putting your fingers in your mouth as you floss. When using loose dental floss, rather than a flosser, proper flossing technique can be achieved in four easy-to-follow steps.
Step 1: Break off a piece of floss
Remove and break off around 18 inches of dental floss (roughly 45cm) and wind the ends loosely around one finger of each hand. Hold it tightly between your thumbs and forefingers, creating a taut suspended band of around one to two inches.
Step 2: Floss between each tooth
Using your thumb and index finger to guide the floss, place the taut band in between two teeth and gently slide the floss in an up-and-down motion (not a side-to-side motion), ensuring you rub it against both sides of each tooth. Be careful not to slide the floss into your gums as this can cause scratching which can make your gums bleed.
Step 3: Clean between your teeth and gums
When you do reach the gum line in between each tooth, curve the floss at the base of the tooth and create a ‘C’ shape with the floss. This helps to clean the spaces between your teeth and gums and also allows the floss to better remove plaque from behind your teeth. Do this as gently as possible to ensure you do not damage the tooth or gum line, or snap the floss as you go.
Step 4: Repeat for each tooth
Repeat this process, moving from tooth to tooth. Each time you move to a new tooth, use a fresh and clean section of floss by slowly unwinding the length from one of your fingers.
This basic flossing technique can be practised using any type of floss, from the simple waxed variety and spongy flosses to dental tape. Additionally, it doesn’t matter if you choose to start with your upper or lower teeth or whether you move front to back, as long as each tooth is properly flossed by the time you are finished.
When using loose dental floss, this simple and safe technique will help you to remove any food particles and plaque that may have built up between your teeth and gums – and it can ultimately improve your overall oral health.
How to use floss picks
Some people may find regular floss awkward and even uncomfortable to use. This can be especially noticeable when trying to reach back teeth with floss simply suspended between two fingers. However, this shouldn’t put you off interdental cleaning. Removing food particles and plaque from between your teeth and along your gum line is an important aspect of oral hygiene, so, if you are struggling to use standard floss effectively, it’s important to remember that there are alternatives to traditional floss available that may work better for you.
An alternative to traditional dental floss, hand-held floss picks can be utilised using a similar technique to the above. Floss picks feature an angled and curved head that holds a short band of floss in one place. They are also ideal for carrying when on the go!
Step 1: Take your floss pick
These dental tools can be used more than once, so take the pick that you currently have on the go or select a brand new one from the pack.
Step 2: Hold the handle and floss between each tooth
Unlike dental floss, which requires two hands to use, floss picks only require one hand. Simply hold the flosser firmly between your finger and thumb and angle the tool’s head to the area that you want to floss.
Step 3: Bend the floss to get in between the tooth and gum
Guide the floss gently between two teeth and use the same back-and-forth motion needed when using standard floss. You may find that bending the strip of floss around each tooth to clean along the gumline and behind your teeth is much easier with a flosser, as manoeuvring and controlling the floss with the help of a handle can make the action feel more natural.
Usually these floss picks, including DenTek’s, also have an inbuilt textured toothpick at one end of the handle which can be used to remove any larger food particles stuck between your teeth, and can be used to stimulate the gum too.
How to use an interdental brush
Another common alternative to traditional dental floss is interdental brushes. These tools typically have small bristled heads, are tapered at one end and resemble small pipe cleaners with handles. They are designed to fit in even the tightest gap between teeth to help dislodge food and remove plaque buildup from the gum line and teeth. Interdental brushes are a great alternative for those who find dental floss awkward to use.
To use an interdental brush, first you need to choose from a variety of different sizes and designs and select a brush that suits your specific needs. Your dentist will be able to help you with this if you are struggling to choose the right one – or we recommend our Easy Brush Mixed Starter Pack to trial what size is best for you.
Once you have the right size for you, simply insert the brush gently between your teeth, one by one, and move the brush back and forth carefully. You can choose to change the size and curve of the neck to clean those difficult-to-reach areas at the back of your mouth and use a bigger brush head for larger gaps. As the filaments become worn (the fine individual brush hairs located on the pick), you should change your brush. As a rule of thumb, this will be after approximately three uses.
How to floss with braces
If you currently have braces or other similar dental appliances, using the correct flossing technique is particularly important in order to avoid floss getting caught in any wires or brackets, or actually damaging your dental appliances.
The best way to floss to prevent damaging your braces is to use special orthodontic floss which typically has a stiff end that can be simply threaded under the main arch wire of your braces. Alternatively, you can purchase a ‘floss threader’ – a small device that allows you to place regular floss under the main wire of your braces and floss as normal, using the technique outlined above.
An interdental brush can be used to remove any food from the braces themselves, by pushing it up between each metal slat. If you’re unsure about how to floss with braces, you can ask your dentist or orthodontist for advice.
Should you floss before or after brushing?
You should always floss before brushing your teeth. This is because flossing can dislodge the small particles of food from between your teeth, and brushing them sweeps them away and removes them altogether.
How often should I floss?
You should floss once a day. This means that you could choose to floss in the morning and then brush your teeth both morning and evening, or vice versa. It may be more beneficial to floss in the evening to remove any food particles that have become stuck during the day, and you can go to bed knowing you have a completely clean mouth.
Does Flossing Create Gaps In Teeth
Gaps between your teeth are indicators of gingivitis or problems with your gums. There are various reasons why you may develop gaps between your teeth. One of the reasons is improper flossing. However, so long as you floss correctly, flossing will likely not cause gaps, states Redding Family Dental.
Pores get a bad rap, but these microscopic openings in your skin are actually vital for producing oils that moisturize and maintain a healthy complexion. When pores get clogged and form blackheads, however, all you want to do is get rid of them. Preventing blackheads entails much more than lathering up a cleanser and splashing some warm water on your face. Ahead, celebrity esthetician Kate Somerville, founder of Kate Somerville Skincare and Skin Health Experts Clinic, breaks down how to remove blackheads properly—and keep them away for good.
First, how do blackheads form?
Before you attempt to break out the magnifying mirror and remove every blackhead in sight, it’s important you understand where they come from. Somerville explains, “Blackheads form when extra sebum accumulates in the pore, and mixes with debris or dead skin cells, which then oxidizes and hardens.”
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What happens if you don’t remove blackheads?
Blackheads are a type of acne, and if left untreated, they can stretch out the skin around the pore. Somerville adds, “Blackheads can also be stubborn after extractions. Since the pore may not close up right away, it could lead to sebum filling the pore again and leading to another blackhead forming.”
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How do you remove blackheads?
The best way to remove blackheads is to prep the skin with light exfoliation in the shower. Somerville recommends her own ExfoliKate, which removes the top layer of dead skin. It contains resurfacing ingredients like papaya, pineapple, and pumpkin enzymes, as well as lactic acid. “Additionally, steam from the shower helps warm the skin, which softens and opens up pores for easier extraction,” Somerville adds.
“After you shower and dry your skin, wrap your fingers with tissue paper and gently squeeze the blackhead out of the pore,” Somerville instructs. “If you’re heavy-handed, you can squeeze the blackhead out with Qtips.” Be sure to then treat the area with a witch-hazel soaked cotton pad to soothe the skin, she says.
Are extraction tools safe to use at home?
“I also don’t recommend extraction devices, as they can be too abrasive and take off the top layer of skin,” Somerville says of using tools instead of just your fingers. Step away from those pore strips, too. “The best way to fully extract the blackheads using your fingers. Pore strips and peel-off masks can often only take off the top layer of the blackheads and not fully remove it,” she explains.
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She also adds that the worst way to remove blackheads is pinching at it without any preparation. As she mentioned before, properly cleansing, exfoliating and steaming will open up the pores, making extraction more gentle.
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How do you prevent blackheads from forming?
There’s no big secret—just consistency. “The best way to prevent blackheads is a good, consistent routine of cleansing and exfoliation,” says Somerville, who suggests a cleanser with sulfur for treating acne and drawing out impurities. She also notes that family genes can play a significant role in acne in general, including blackheads. “My mom struggled with blackheads, and I have struggled with blackheads growing up as well,” she admits. You can’t fight genetics, but with these tips, you’ll at least have a leg up.
Homemade pore extractor
One of the most basic pieces of advice I give out as an esthetician is that dealing with a blackhead when it’s just a blackhead is the best thing you can do for your pores. Open comedones, or blackheads, are clogged pores filled with sebum (oil), dirt/makeup, and dead skin cells that oxidize when exposed to air.
If left to sit around for too long, they move deeper into pores and can rupture, become infected with bacteria, and develop scarring inflammation. Some theories suggest that all acne originates as a micro-comedone.
So, by treating blackheads in their earliest stage, you may prevent more severe breakouts! Regularly cleaning out clogged pores is crucial for overall skin health.
Blackheads also fill and expand pores, and the longer they remain in the pore, the larger the blackhead can become, and the larger your pore will stretch. Oily skin usually means larger pores, and the risk for blackheads is greater. If you have oily skin, you may wonder if that will ever change.
Often as we age, our oil glands slow down and we produce less oil, so it’s not necessarily “once oily always oily,” I can assure you. These simple do-it-yourself blackhead-fighting masks are ideal for oily or acne-prone skin, no matter what stage in life you are in.
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1. Honey Blackhead Mask
Honey is not only antibacterial but naturally unclogs pores as well. Using clean fingers, on a clean, dry face, apply small amounts of raw honey to your middle and ring fingers and gently pat on the skin where blackheads are present.
Repeat, concentrating on the chin, forehead, and nose areas, being careful to avoid the under-eye area as bruising can occur. Pat for 1–3 minutes total, not in the same area. Gently wash your face with warm water when finished.
Why Flossing Is Bad
If done improperly, flossing can cause damage to gums, teeth, and dental work, according to the AP investigation. Sometimes, flossing can also cause harmful bacteria to be released into your bloodstream which could lead to an infection.
Clay is a wonderful ingredient to battle blackheads, drawing out impurities and unclogging pores. Moroccan red clay comes from the Atlas Mountains in Morocco and is ideal for oily and acne-prone skin.
- 2 tablespoons Moroccan red clay
- 3 tablespoons rose water
- 1 teaspoon mashed avocado
Combine these ingredients to create a paste. Using clean fingers or a brush, apply mask to the t-zone or acne-prone areas. As soon as the mask starts to lighten (a sign it is dry), rinse with warm water.
Avoid using a metal bowl or spoon for this recipe—instead, use glass or wooden instruments to maintain the potency and effectiveness of the clay’s properties.
3. Activated Charcoal Blackhead Mask
Drawing impurities and bacteria to the skin’s surface, activated charcoal scrubs are a fantastic oil blasting recipe for blackheads. Use once or twice a week to fight blackheads and dislodge the gunk from those pesky pores.
- 2 tablespoons unscented liquid Castile soap
- 1 tablespoon almond, jojoba, apricot kernel, or vitamin E oil
- 2 tablespoons finely ground brown or white rice flour
- 1 tablespoon baking soda
- 2 teaspoons activated charcoal powder
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In a small bowl, stir together the Castile soap and oil. Add the rice flour, baking soda, and activated charcoal powder. The mixture may bubble up a bit. Keep stirring until smooth and creamy. Transfer to an airtight container and store in a cool, dry place.
To use, splash your face with a little water, so it is damp. Take 1–2 teaspoons of the scrub and gently apply to the face with your fingertips in small, circular motions, being careful to avoid the area around the eyes.
To use as a mask, let the scrub sit on the face for a few minutes for extra oil-absorbing benefits. Rinse with lukewarm water, and pat your face dry. If the scrub becomes too dry, add a little water or almond oil, and stir again until creamy.
4. Egg White Blackhead Mask
Regularly using a deep cleansing mask designed to control oil accumulation in your pores is crucial to keeping blackheads at bay. This mask should be applied at night once a week since the lemon juice can make skin photosensitive (caution with sun exposure, especially if you have a history of photosensitivity, as it may lead to skin hyperpigmentation).
- 1 egg white
- 1/2 teaspoon clay powder
- 1/4 teaspoon lemon juice
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Beat the egg white until fluffy and then add in the clay and lemon juice and mix well. It will form a paste that you will apply to your t-zone area or any other areas prone to blackheads.
If it’s a bit thick, which will depend on the type of clay you use, add a 1/2 teaspoon of water. After 10 minutes, rinse with warm water. Follow with an appropriate nighttime facial oil or moisturizer.
5. Baking Soda Blackhead Scrub
Combine the baking soda and raw milk in a bowl, and then gently scrub the areas with clogged pores and blackheads. Apply gentle pressure in a circular motion with your fingertips.
If you allow this scrub to partially dry, it becomes more of a gommage that you can gently remove in circular motions with your fingertips. Remove the excess with warm water.
- 2 tablespoons baking soda
- 2 tablespoons raw milk
- Add an activated charcoal capsule for extra cleansing power
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6. Bentonite Tea Tree Mask
Another clay that helps draw impurities out of pores is bentonite clay. Bentonite also soothes inflamed skin if you have any active breakouts. Combine bentonite clay with small amounts of water until a paste is formed, not too runny and not too thick it is difficult to spread.
Add one drop of tea tree oil and mix thoroughly. Leave on for 20 minutes and then remove with a warm washcloth.
- 3 tablespoons bentonite clay
- 1 drop tea tree essential oil
- water
7. Turmeric Honey Mask
Turmeric and it’s anti-inflammatory benefits [source] combined with honey’s bacteria-fighting properties [source] not only help remedy clogged skin but prevent blackheads from developing.
- 1 teaspoon turmeric powder
- 1 tablespoon raw honey
Stir honey and turmeric into a paste and then apply to areas of concern. Leave the mask on for 10 minutes or until you begin to feel tightness. Wash off with a warm washcloth.