Our previous blog talked about the essentials of brushing your pearly whites for a healthy smile. Today we are going to focus on part two of your oral hygiene routine as you continue to build a strong oral foundation.

Your daily efforts cannot be overstated enough, as your attention to your smile, coupled with a healthy, tooth-friendly diet and regular visits for dental cleanings will support all the other steps you take to create the smile of your dreams. You can’t give yourself a beautiful smile if you are dealing with tooth decay and gum disease. Keeping these at bay will let you expand on your efforts to accentuate your smile.

When you floss is entirely up to you. You can floss before or after you brush. Just be sure to rinse after you floss to remove any oral debris. Lots of folks like to floss before bedtime since eating is done for the day. If this is your preference, your flossing efforts should remove stray food particles and bacterial plaque from between the teeth where a toothbrush can’t reach.

Dr. Gorelik recommends Cocofloss for our patients. Using hundreds of polyester and microfiber filaments, Cocofloss is made to remove the plaque biofilm in your mouth and leave your teeth refreshingly clean. You will love this floss, as the coconut oil invigorates your mouth with its tropical fruity flavor while helping with the healing of gum tissue and any bleeding.

Let’s take a look at these flossing basics for your smile:

• Pull out an 18″ strip of Cocofloss from your floss dispenser.
• Next, wind the floss around the middle fingers of both of your hands. Leave yourself a 1-inch area to floss with.
• Use a clean section of floss for each tooth–winding the used floss around your fingers as you go until all of your teeth are clean.
• Begin by flossing the top teeth.
• Insert the floss string gently between the teeth using your index fingers. Slide the floss string up and down, holding it against the tooth.
• Slide the floss up and around your gum line, creating a C-shape around each tooth with your floss.
• Floss behind the back of the teeth as well as in between each tooth.
• Rinse with TRIOLOGY® mouthwash which has over 20 antioxidants to support your oral health. It is also good when treating an oral infection or dry mouth.
• If you are using an oral irrigator to floss, be sure to follow the manufacturer’s directions carefully.

Brushing and flossing daily, while simple, is vital to your oral health. If you still need to see your dentist for a cleaning and to get your smile ready for the fall and winter festivities, please give our Gorelik Holistic Dentistry team a call at 704-553-1627. Dr. Julia Gorelik is happy to help you maintain your beautiful smile in Charlotte, North Carolina!