Your Etobicoke Invisalign® Provider
Many people know on a basic level that brushing and flossing are recommended by dentists as part of a good oral hygiene routine. Some patients however are unclear on the finer details, like what order they should be done in or if one is more important than the other. Today, our Etobicoke dentists talk about brushing and flossing in detail.
Before beginning your daily oral hygiene routine, you may have wondered whether to brush your teeth first or to floss first. Our Etobicoke dentists hope to address this issue in this post. The first thing we must do is discuss the value of brushing and flossing as well as the benefits of each practice.
Reasons to Brush
No need to explain why one should brush their teeth; it is one of the first lessons in cleanliness that many kids learn. Our patients are advised to brush their teeth at least twice daily. Cleaning our teeth with a toothbrush removes plaque and bacteria that could harm our oral health. When done correctly, brushing is the best way to thoroughly clean both our gums and the surfaces of our teeth.
Brushing twice a day helps by keeping teeth and gums clean, limiting the buildup of harmful bacteria and; ideally, preventing gum disease and tooth decay. This routine complements your regular visits to the dentist for dental cleanings and exams.
Reasons to Floss
Because it keeps the parts of our mouth that brushing sometimes misses clean, flossing is crucial. Ideally, flossing keeps harmful bacteria and buildup out of the spaces between our teeth and the area just below the gum line. As a result of flossing's assistance in keeping our mouths clean, maintaining good oral health can be easier overall and result in fewer health issues.
We recommend flossing at least once a day. Oral hygiene care is largely about routine and habit, so we also recommend leaving your floss somewhere clearly visible, forming an imperishable bond in your mind between the act of brushing and the act of flossing. Where one comes to mind, so should the other, to ensure the entirety of your teeth receive the care they require.
Should you brush or floss first?
We recommend flossing before brushing your teeth. What is most important is that you always do both in accordance with your dental care routine.
We recommend flossing first due in large part to the possibility of flossing loosens bacteria and food debris both on and between our teeth. This can make brushing more successful at removing food particles.
Another benefit applies if you use toothpaste with fluoride. Fluoride is a compound of fluorine with another element or group, and it helps keep teeth clean. If you floss after brushing, it is more likely to remove the fluoride in your toothpaste, which might make it less effective.
When it comes to maintaining an excellent standard of oral health care, we should always try our best to do so, and occasionally, small changes can have a significant impact on our dental care routines. One of those subtle changes might be to brush after flossing. If you have so far flossed after brushing, try flossing before brushing as an experiment.