Flossing is one of the best things we can do to promote healthy gums. Flossing regularly removes trapped foods and plaque, prevents cavities, and reduces gum inflammation & bleeding. All this keeps your gums in top shape and prevents the onset of gum disease.
But what about people who hate flossing or who are physically unable to do so? As dental professionals, it is our duty to find alternative ways for all of our patients to keep their gums healthy and clean.
There are many tools you can use to clean around the teeth and under the gums such as:
- toothpicks
- stim-u-dents
- proxy brushes
- soft picks
- a water jet or water flosser (my latest favorite)
Toothpicks and the variety of interdental brushes on the market are a great way to remove plaque, stimulate the gums, and clean around root concavities.
Water flossers are unique in that they use water pressure to blast off loose plaque and food, but with generally less force and pain compared to using string floss. Water flossers are helpful for dental accessibility because the water jet can clean around implants, bridges, crowns, overhangs, impacted wisdom teeth, and braces too! Both WaterPik and Sonicare make versions of this handy device.
Proper flossing is still the best way to prevent gum disease, but there are some great methods to try in addition to flossing, or on their own.
These methods have greatly helped many of our patients. If you are someone who isn’t flossing daily for any reason, try some of these alternatives, or ask your dentist or dental hygienist to suggest a suitable alternative for you!
Edited by Serena Calcagno 6.16.2020
