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What Are the Guidelines For Selecting Dental Floss?

How to Pick the Best Dental Floss?

Choosing the Best Dental Floss: Types, Benefits, and Recommendations

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When you’re looking for floss and oral health care items in the relevant aisle of your supermarket, the sheer variety of options can be overwhelming. From multiple types of toothbrushes, toothpaste, mouthwash, and floss, it can be difficult to know where to start when selecting the best products for your oral hygiene routine. At Sacramento River Dental Group, we understand the challenge and are here to help guide you through the decision-making process, particularly when it comes to choosing the right dental floss.

Despite being a crucial part of oral hygiene, flossing is frequently disregarded, despite its importance in preserving dental health. You greatly lower your risk of cavities and gum disease by flossing on a regular basis. For this reason, it’s essential to pick a premium floss that you feel at ease using on a daily basis. This post will discuss some dental floss advice and offer a thorough how-to for selecting the ideal floss for your requirements.

Guidelines for Selecting Dental Floss: Types and Considerations

When it comes to selecting the right dental floss, it’s important to understand that there are different types of floss available, each suited for specific needs and preferences. Let’s have a closer look at the three most commonly recommended types of floss:

Traditional String Floss

Traditional string floss, often found in small plastic containers, is the most widely used type of floss. Here are a few key points about traditional floss:

Ease of Use: If you grew up using this type of floss, you’re likely already comfortable with it.
Variety: String floss comes in different varieties, including waxed, unwaxed, flavored, and unflavored options. You can even choose between thin floss and thicker dental tape, depending on the space between your teeth.
Effective for Most Users: Traditional floss is versatile and effective for most people. However, it can be challenging for individuals with limited hand dexterity or for those who struggle to reach back teeth.

How to Choose Dental Floss:

  1. Choose a floss that feels comfortable and glides smoothly between your teeth without shredding or fraying. It should be easy to handle and effective at removing plaque and food particles without causing discomfort.
  2. Opt for a floss that aligns with your unique needs, whether that involves extra strength for more durability, a waxed coating for smoother gliding through tight spaces, or an added flavour to enhance your flossing experience and leave a fresh taste.

Floss Picks

Floss picks are another popular option. These small plastic tools feature a short piece of floss stretched between two prongs, making it easy to handle and use. Here are some benefits:

Convenience: Floss picks are portable, easy to use, and especially helpful for those with limited hand strength or coordination.
Simplicity: Floss picks allow for a quick and easy flossing experience, making them a great option for busy lifestyles.

There is, however, a downside to using floss picks. They typically use a small segment of floss, which may require you to use multiple picks for a full flossing session. Consider this when buying floss picks, in case you run out of them.

Dental Floss Selection Tips:

  1. Consider the size and shape of the floss pick, as some are specifically designed for tight spaces between teeth, making it easier to reach areas that traditional floss might struggle with. Floss picks also come in various designs, with some offering angled heads for better access to back teeth or thicker threads for more effective cleaning.
  2. If you find traditional floss difficult to manage due to its manual dexterity requirements or the need to wrap and guide the floss around your fingers, floss picks are an excellent alternative. They offer convenience and control, allowing you to maintain your flossing routine with ease while ensuring a thorough clean.

Water Flosser

Water flossers, also known as oral irrigators, have gained popularity as a modern and effective method of flossing. They use a stream of pulsating water to remove plaque and debris from between teeth and along the gum line.

Effectiveness: Numerous studies indicate that water flossers are highly effective for removing plaque, reducing gingivitis, and improving gum health. They are particularly beneficial for individuals with braces, dental implants, or sensitive gums.
Ease of Use: Water flossers are easy to use and can reach areas that traditional floss may miss, making them an ideal choice for comprehensive oral care.

Bear in mind, that water flossers are bulkier, need to be charged or plugged in. Additionally, they can be more expensive compared to traditional floss. However, they are durable and reduce waste over time.

How to Pick the Best Dental Floss

Consistency is the most important consideration when choosing the correct floss. The dental floss that you are comfortable using on a regular basis is the best. Whether you need a water flosser for better plaque removal, a waxed flosser for tight spaces, or floss picks for convenience, you should select a floss that suits your needs. To find the best floss type for you, try different types if you have sensitive gums, bleeding problems, or specific dental conditions like crowded teeth.

Regardless of the kind of floss you select, maintaining good oral health requires regular, thorough flossing. Sacramento River Dental Group is available to offer individual advice if you’re unclear of which floss is best for you or if you need assistance starting a regular flossing schedule. We can evaluate your particular dental needs and suggest the best flossing instruments to maintain the health of your gums and teeth.

FAQ:

Is floss good or bad for your teeth?

Flossing is good for your teeth and overall oral health. It plays a crucial role in preventing gum disease and cavities by removing plaque and food particles that toothbrushes can’t reach between teeth and along the gum line. Daily flossing helps to maintain healthy gums and prevents the buildup of harmful bacteria. While some people might experience minor gum bleeding when they first start flossing, this usually stops as the gums become healthier over time.

What are the 2 types of dental floss?

The two common types of dental floss are:

  1. Traditional String Floss. This is the most commonly used type and comes in small containers. It’s available in varieties such as waxed, unwaxed, flavored, and unflavored. It’s effective for most users and offers flexibility for different dental needs.
  2. Floss Picks. These are small plastic tools with a short piece of floss stretched between two prongs. They are convenient and portable, making them easier for some people to use, especially for those with limited hand dexterity.

What are the disadvantages of using dental floss?

The disadvantages of using dental floss include:

Difficulty Reaching Certain Areas: Traditional floss can be challenging to maneuver, especially when trying to clean behind molars or in tight spaces between teeth. People with limited hand dexterity may struggle with traditional string floss.

Limited Floss Length with Picks: Floss picks provide only a short piece of floss, which means you may need multiple picks to fully clean between all your teeth, leading to increased waste.

Irritation or Bleeding for Sensitive Gums: Some people may experience gum irritation or bleeding, particularly if they floss too aggressively or are new to flossing. However, this usually improves as the gums become healthier.

Do you floss before or after brushing?

Ideally, flossing should come before brushing. In order to remove food particles and plaque from in between teeth during brushing, flossing is first helpful in doing so. Using this method makes cleaning easier and guarantees that toothpaste’s fluoride gets to the areas between teeth, where it’s most needed.

At Sacramento River Dental Group, our seasoned dental professionals are committed to providing expert care tailored to your unique needs. Whether you’re looking for personalized advice on choosing the best dental floss or need comprehensive oral care services, our team is here to help. Don’t wait — schedule your appointment today and experience the difference that professional dental care can make for your smile.

Call us now or visit our Sacramento office to get started on your journey to optimal oral health!

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Sacramento River Dental Group is committed to respecting your online privacy and recognizes your need for appropriate protection and management of any personally identifiable information (“Personal Information”) you share with us.

Sacramento River Dental Group is a “data controller”. This means that we are responsible for deciding how we hold and use personal information about you. This privacy notice makes you aware of how and why your personal data will be used, namely for the purposes of the Sacramento River Dental Group employment recruitment process, and how long it will usually be retained.

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We will comply with data protection law and principles, which means that your data will be:

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The kind of information we hold about you

In connection with your application for work with us, we will collect, store, and use the following categories of personal information about you:

  • The information you have provided to us in your curriculum vitae and cover letter.
  • The information you have provided on our application form, including name, title, address, telephone number, personal email address, employment history, and qualifications.
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How is your personal information collected?

We collect personal information about candidates from the following sources:

  • You, the candidate.
  • Recruitment agencies and vendors we have agreed on terms in place with
  • Professional networking profile
  • Employees and others who refer you to us


How we will use information about you?

We will use the personal information we collect about you to:

  • Assess your skills, qualifications, and suitability for the role.
  • Carry out background and reference checks, where applicable.
  • Communicate with you about the recruitment process.
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  • Comply with legal or regulatory requirements.
  • We also need to process your personal information to decide whether to enter into a contract of employment with you.

Having received your CV, cover letter, and/or your application form, we will then process that information to decide whether you meet the basic requirements to be screened by our in-house recruitment team for the role. If you do, we will decide whether your application is strong enough to invite you for an interview, be it by telephone, in person, or by other electronic means. If we decide to engage you for an interview, we will use the information you provide to us at the interview to decide whether to offer you the role. If we decide to offer you the role, we will then take up references before confirming your appointment.

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If you fail to provide information when requested, which is necessary for us to consider your application (such as evidence of qualifications or work history), we will not be able to process your application successfully and we will not be able to take your application further.

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Data sharing With third parties

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We have put in place procedures to deal with any suspected data security breach and will notify you and any applicable regulator of a suspected breach where we are legally required to do so.

Data retention (how long will you use my information for)

  • We will retain your personal information for a period of 2 years after we have communicated to you our decision about whether to appoint you to the role. We will retain your personal information so that we can make you aware of any suitable alternative roles that arise during this period.
  • We further retain your personal information for that period so that we can show, in the event of a legal claim, that we have not discriminated against candidates on prohibited grounds and that we have conducted the recruitment exercise in a fair and transparent way. After this period, we will securely destroy your personal information in accordance with applicable laws and regulations.
  • If you would prefer that we did not retain your personal information, you can notify us at any time and we will delete your personal information.


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Under certain circumstances, by law, you have the right to:

  • Request access to your personal information (commonly known as a “data subject access request”). This enables you to receive a copy of the personal information we hold about you and to check that we are lawfully processing it.
  • Request correction of the personal information that we hold about you. This enables you to have any incomplete or inaccurate information we hold about you corrected.
  • Request erasure of your personal information. This enables you to ask us to delete or remove personal information where there is no good reason for us to continue to process it. You also have the right to ask us to delete or remove your personal information where you have exercised your right to object to processing (see below).
  • Object to processing of your personal information where we are relying on a legitimate interest (or those of a third party) and there is something about your particular situation which makes you want to object to processing on this ground. You also have the right to object to where we are processing your personal information for direct marketing purposes.
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When you applied for this role, you provided consent to us processing your personal information for the purposes of the recruitment exercise. You have the right to withdraw your consent for processing for that purpose at any time.

To withdraw your consent, please contact the Recruitment Manager. Once we have received notification that you have withdrawn your consent, we will no longer process your application, and, subject to our policies, we will dispose of your personal data securely.

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We have appointed a data protection officer (DPO) to oversee compliance with this privacy notice. If you have any questions about this privacy notice or how we handle your personal information, please contact the DPO by email, at info@jstreetdentalgroup.com.