Most adults are fairly good at brushing their teeth on a daily basis, but there are still a lot of adults who never floss their teeth. Flossing might seem like an optional activity, but you should not view it this way, as flossing is essential for good oral care. Here are several things to know about flossing your teeth that may encourage you to start this daily habit.

Brushing alone leaves gaps.

The first thing to understand about this topic is that brushing your teeth is important to do on a daily basis, but it is also important to understand that there are gaps with brushing. In other words, your toothbrush will not have the ability to reach every area inside your mouth, and the main areas it skips are the areas between teeth and the gum lines between teeth. Because of this, your risk of developing cavities between your teeth and gingivitis is much higher if you do not floss regularly.

The areas between your teeth are perfect places for food, bacteria, and debris to hide, and this is because it is easy for debris to get trapped in these places. Flossing your teeth directly cleans these particular areas, and flossing is really the only solution for cleaning these areas.

Flossing reduces your risk.

Flossing is the only activity you can really choose to clean the hard-to-reach spots between your teeth, which means that you will reduce your risks of oral problems if you develop flossing as a habit into your daily routine. If you want to prevent problems such as cavities or gum disease, you need to floss.

There are different types of floss today.

A lot of people do not floss because they find that traditional wax floss is hard to use. Fortunately, there are alternative options that may work out better for you.

One option you could try is a dental flosser. This is a small tool that you hold in your hand that has a piece of floss going across it. You can simply insert the floss between your teeth without having to wrap floss around your fingers. Another option is using a water flosser, which is a tool that sprays water at your teeth. The pressure from the water is enough to clean the areas that floss normally cleans.

Making flossing a habit each day will help you combat bad breath, too, and it may also help you have a healthier smile. If you have questions or problems with your teeth, call a general dentist like Mainwaring John D DDS.