How Does Water Flossing Compare to Traditional Flossing?

Flossing helps to remove food particles and plaque from between your pearly whites and under the gumline. Teeth can decay and gum disease can develop when plaque isn't removed. If you're going to invest the time to floss on a daily basis, make sure you're flossing correctly.

Start by tearing off a piece of floss approximately 18 inches in length. Then wrap most of it around each middle finger. Only a couple of inches should be free to floss.

Use your index fingers and thumbs to hold the floss tight. You're now free to slide the floss up and down between each tooth. Be careful not to force the floss, and curve it around the base of each tooth. Work the floss around your fingers so that a clean section cleans each tooth. Use the same up-and-down sliding motion to remove the floss from between two teeth.

Though water flossing is another way to clean teeth, it differs from traditional flossing. This modern method incorporates a hand-held device that removes food from between teeth using steady water streams. Water flossing is a substitute for traditional flossing for people who have difficulty holding string floss or who have dental work, such as braces, where maneuvering floss in between teeth can be tricky.

The Times of India published an article on flossing in which cosmetic dentist Dr Karishma Jaradi states that "Another great reason to floss is that recent studies have shown that flossing helps to prevent heart attack or stroke".

Traditional floss containers are small and quite portable, so it's easy to floss even when you're on the go. They fit conveniently in a pants pocket, a purse, or a desk drawer at work. On the other hand, a water flosser device may be too big to take with you and needs to be plugged in, so the inconvenience may deter you from flossing while travelling or other places.

If you prefer traditional flossing to using a water flosser device, try the Colgate Total Dental Floss. Also do remember to schedule a dental cleaning every six months. Not only will a professional cleaning keep your teeth in good working order, but your dentist can identify mouth concerns before they become bigger problems.