Different types of dental floss

The question refers to the different tools used to remove plaque and trapped food from the interdental spaces, where a toothbrush cannot clean all tooth surfaces. Common designs include nylon or polymer strands, flat dental tape, tufted floss, floss holders, interdental brushes, and water flossers.

Wax helps some strands slide through tight contacts, while unwaxed floss can spread slightly as it is used. Tape is broader and may feel more comfortable in open contacts, and expanding floss can adapt to wider spaces or around some dental work.

Use about 45 centimetres of floss, wind most around one middle finger, and guide the rest with the other hand. Slide it through the contact with a gentle sawing motion, curve it into a C against one tooth, move it below the gum edge without forcing it, then clean the adjacent tooth with a fresh section.

For larger gaps, bridges, or braces, try an appropriately sized interdental brush, a floss threader with regular floss, or a tufted bridge floss. A water flosser directs a pulsating stream along the gumline and around appliances, but it does not replace brushing or the cleaning method needed for each contact.

Arrange a dental examination if flossing repeatedly causes bleeding, pain, swelling, pus, or a persistent bad taste, or if one area traps food. Bleeding can occur when inflamed gingiva is cleaned, but persistent or localized bleeding needs assessment for gum disease, a faulty restoration, decay, or another local cause.

Ask for an individualized cleaning demonstration if floss shreds, cannot pass through a contact, or becomes stuck around a filling, crown, bridge, implant, or orthodontic appliance. A dentist or hygienist can check the contact and select the correct diameter or technique.

Ask which interdental method fits the width of each space, whether an interdental brush should be used around any restoration or implant, and how far the floss should move below the gum edge. You can also ask the dentist to watch your technique and identify areas where plaque remains.

If your gums bleed or a contact is difficult to clean, ask whether the cause is inflammation, calculus, decay, or an overhanging restoration. The answer can change the treatment and the cleaning tool recommended for that site.