Maintaining good oral hygiene is essential not just for your teeth but also for overall health.
We all know the importance of brushing our teeth, and the consensus on how often you should brush your teeth.
Replacing your toothbrush every three to four months is also something that is crucial to maintaining the best oral hygiene routine.
Flossing is also something that is often highlighted as an important part of an oral hygiene routine.
One question that many people have is whether they should floss before or after brushing their teeth.
Here, we’ll explore the benefits and best practices for flossing and brushing, helping you make an informed decision on when to floss.
The Importance of Flossing
Flossing is crucial because it removes food particles and plaque from between your teeth and under the gumline, areas that a toothbrush cannot reach effectively.
Plaque is a sticky film of bacteria that can lead to cavities and gum disease if not removed. Regular flossing helps prevent plaque building up and promotes healthier gums.
If you combine flossing alongside regularly brushing your teeth you’ll mitigate the risks of bacteria and plaque building up.
This has the benefit of keeping your teeth looking good, reducing costs on required dental work and also lowers the risks to your overall health.
Flossing Before Brushing
One important question people have is ‘should I floss before brushing my teeth?’ There are benefits to flossing before you brush your teeth that we will explore here.
The first benefit of flossing before brushing is that it removes debris and plaque, allowing the fluoride in toothpaste to reach more areas of your teeth.
By clearing out the spaces between your teeth, flossing first can enhance the effectiveness of brushing.
Flossing After Brushing
The other part of this question focus on whether flossing after brushing is the right approach. Again, there are some benefits to flossing once you have finished brushing.
These benefits are that brushing first removes the bulk of plaque and food particles, making flossing easier and more efficient.
Additionally, brushing first can help distribute toothpaste's active ingredients across your teeth, and flossing afterward ensures that any remaining debris is removed.
The Importance of the Right Toothbrush
Whether you decide to floss before or after brushing your teeth, finding the right toothbrush for you is vital if you want to get the best results.
There is lots of variety of choice when it comes to finding the right toothbrush, including weighing up whether to get a manual or an electric brush.
Other considerations are whether to get a plastic or plastic alternative brush (toothbrush without a plastic handle). This is where Sustuff comes in.
Our plastic alternative bamboo brushes are crafted from stylish aluminium handles, and heads made from 100% biodegradable bamboo, FSC-certified as sustainably-sourced.
You also have the option of medium or soft bristles depending on your brushing needs and preferences. With our brushes you’ll get replacement heads so you can keep your brush working effectively without throwing away the handle.
Practical Tips for Flossing
Regardless of when you choose to floss, it's essential to do it correctly. Here are some practical tips for effective flossing:
Use Enough Floss
To get the best results from flossing, it is recommended that you need to break off about 18 inches of floss. Once done, wrap the floss around your fingers, leaving about 2 inches to work with.
This will leave you with a sufficient length of floss to reach all of the areas of your mouth required to remove bacteria, food debris and plaque.
Be Gentle
One important thing to keep in mind is that you can cause damage to your gums if you floss too aggressively.
By sliding the floss gently between your teeth you will avoid snapping it against your gums and causing any unintentional damage.
Follow the Curve
Curve the floss around each tooth and slide it up and down to remove plaque and debris. This is the most effective way to reach all the areas around your mouth.
Rotate to Use Clean Sections
Use a fresh section of floss for each tooth to avoid transferring bacteria. This will ensure that you are getting the most clean experience possible when flossing.
Take the next step to better oral health
Whether you floss before or after brushing your teeth, the key is to incorporate both practices into your daily oral hygiene routine. Both have their benefits, so you can do either and it will be effective.
Regular flossing and brushing can significantly improve your dental health and prevent issues like cavities and gum disease.
Experiment with the sequence to find what works best for you, and consult your dentist for personalised advice for your needs.
Hopefully, you will now be armed with all the information you need around flossing. If you need any more oral hygiene tips check out our article on oral health tips.
Alternatively, if you’re looking to change up your oral hygiene routine why not check out range of bamboo toothbrushes today!