How To Make Flossing Easier When You Have Overcrowded Teeth
If your teeth are too close together, you probably have already experienced some difficulty with trying to floss your teeth. While floss is quite narrow, it can be hard to fit an average piece of floss between your teeth if they're pressing up against each other tightly. If you're having this problem, here are some ideas on how to get the space between your teeth clean and fresh without ending up with shredded floss and painful gums.
Tape Floss
Tape floss is a popular choice for people with overcrowding issues. Unlike standard floss, tape floss is flat, just like you would expect from adhesive tape. This allows you to slide it into very narrow places, making it easier to get in between tightly spaced teeth.
Ideally, you should use this type of floss a little differently than standard floss. Since it's narrower, you need to make sure that once it's between your teeth you thoroughly scrape the teeth on both sides. This will ensure that you're getting to all the plaque and bacteria between your teeth.
Water Flossers
Water flossers are liked for a wide variety of reasons, but they're a great choice specifically for anyone with overcrowding issues. Fluids can slide between teeth far easier than any solid object can, and that includes water.
You don't have to actually force the tip of a water flosser between your teeth. As long as the stream of water itself gets through the space, you're doing your job. Water flossers can help to blast away plaque and reduce gum inflammation, which may help to make it easier to get standard floss between your teeth, too.
The Dentist
Finally, it's a good idea to swing by your dentist's office if you're having the problem of overcrowded teeth.
As with the water flosser, getting a thorough dental cleaning can reduce inflammation and remove plaque and tartar from between your teeth. Hardened tartar can make a narrow space even tighter, making it increasingly difficult to floss.
In addition, metal braces aren't your only options when you have overcrowded teeth. Your dentist may be able to help you by using spacers to adjust where your teeth sit or by using invisible braces to correct your alignment.
Keeping your teeth and gums healthy requires flossing, but that doesn't mean it's the easiest thing to do for everyone. If you're having difficulty with your teeth, call on a dentist to make it easier for you.
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