Understanding A Few Different Types Of Dental Floss

If you diligently make your six month dental appointments for you and your child, then you may hear some suggestions from your dentist when it comes to your oral care. This is likely to include tips on flossing the teeth. According to the American Dental Association, it is wise to floss between the teeth at least once a day. However, there are different types of floss that you can use. If you are concerned about the different varieties and which may be best for you and your child, then keep reading to learn a little bit about two different types of dental floss.

Dental Tape

If you clean your teeth properly, then you should see wide spaces between the teeth. These spaces are healthy and keep the teeth from butting up against one another. However, the spaces fill with plaque. Tartar can then develop, solidify, and fill in the openings. The best way to avoid this is to use dental floss that can scrape away the plaque completely.

Most types of regular monofilament floss do not do a very good job of scraping the plaque away from the teeth, especially if you have wide gaps in between them. Wider dental tape that is five to ten times thicker than monofilament floss can release a lot of the food and plaque though.

Tape floss is made out of the same materials as regular floss. The string part of the floss is usually made from nylon, and a layer of wax sits over the string. When using the floss, make sure the wide part of the floss moves vertically between the teeth as you clean to release as much debris as possible.

Braided Floss

Braided floss has several different names and may be referred to as multifilament, tufted, or super floss. All of these names refer to the same type of floss, but super floss often has a threader on the end that allows you to move the floss underneath bridges and around dental crowns.

The braided floss is made from several pieces of regular nylon floss that are interwoven together. In this way, the floss looks a lot like a piece of yarn. The interwoven pieces may be coated or uncoated, and the floss is best used around appliances that include dental implants and fixed dentures. Also, if you have a diastema problem where wide and unnatural spaces sit between the teeth, the braided floss can get into these openings and clean them thoroughly.

If you want to know about the best dental floss for your teeth and the anatomy of your mouth, then speak with your dentist about this. For other tips on tooth health, contact a business like Lucky Kids Dental.