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How and when should a patient use dental floss?

This Premium Q&A, reviewed and published, features a real conversation between an iCliniq user and a physician.

Patient's Query

Hello doctor,

I went to the dental clinic to clean my tooth as I had plaque and bleeding gums. After the treatment, the doctor prescribed me a mouthwash and dental floss. I would like to know if flossing is absolutely necessary every day. Do all the people in the world use dental floss? What are the uses of dental floss, and why should I use it? How and when should I use dental floss?

Answered by Dr. Rakshana Devi M

Education:

BDS

Professional Bio:

Dr. Rakshana Devi is a Dental Surgeon who graduated from The Tamil Nadu Dr. M.G.R. Medical University in 2020. She has three years of clinical experience. She is qualified to diagnose and treat diseases that affect the gums and teeth and do Dental Scaling, Root Canal Treatment, Tooth Extraction, Impacted Tooth Surgery, Replacement of Teeth, Rigid and Flexible Denture, Dental Filling, and Bleeding Gums Treatment. She is actively involved in all Dental Rrocedures and can serve patients effectively.

This doctor is not available for online consultations on the platform anymore.

Hello,

Welcome to icliniq.com.

The scaling procedure usually ends with oral hygiene instructions, including proper ways of brushing using an interdental brush, flossing, and using a mouthwash. It is not compulsory to use dental floss, but it is necessary in case of crowded teeth because the food particles get deposited in the spaces between the teeth. In that case, normal brushing is not enough, and dental floss or interdental brushes must be used. If the teeth are normally arranged, dental floss can be used as a preventive measure.

The usage of dental floss varies according to the necessity. I suggest you use it daily at night after brushing. Floss should be used in the interdental spaces in to and fro motion, but do it softly and not more than two minutes. Mostly, it will not cause any bleeding if you do it softly. Mild bleeding will gradually stop, but excess bleeding occurs due to gingival infection. In this case, stop dental flossing and undergo scaling. Mostly after scaling, you will not have excess bleeding.

I hope this has helped you.

Thank you.

Medically reviewed by Dr. Anuthanyaa. R
Published At June 21, 2022
Reviewed At November 5, 2024

Education:

BDS

Professional Bio:

Dr. Rakshana Devi is a Dental Surgeon who graduated from The Tamil Nadu Dr. M.G.R. Medical University in 2020. She has three years of clinical experience. She is qualified to diagnose and treat diseases that affect the gums and teeth and do Dental Scaling, Root Canal Treatment, Tooth Extraction, Impacted Tooth Surgery, Replacement of Teeth, Rigid and Flexible Denture, Dental Filling, and Bleeding Gums Treatment. She is actively involved in all Dental Rrocedures and can serve patients effectively.

This doctor is not available for online consultations on the platform anymore.

Education:

BDS

Professional Bio:

Dr. Anuthanyaa is a Dental Surgeon who has an impeccable interest in serving people. She graduated BDS from J. K. K. Nataraja Dental College and Hospital, Bhavani. She is a part of the medical reviewer team at iCliniq, a global telemedicine platform. She is actively involved in surgical procedures and has a proven record of managing patients utilizing exceptional communication skills.

This doctor is not available for online consultations on the platform anymore.

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Education:

BDS

Professional Bio:

Dr. Rakshana Devi is a Dental Surgeon who graduated from The Tamil Nadu Dr. M.G.R. Medical University in 2020. She has three years of clinical experience. She is qualified to diagnose and treat diseases that affect the gums and teeth and do Dental Scaling, Root Canal Treatment, Tooth Extraction, Impacted Tooth Surgery, Replacement of Teeth, Rigid and Flexible Denture, Dental Filling, and Bleeding Gums Treatment. She is actively involved in all Dental Rrocedures and can serve patients effectively.

This doctor is not available for online consultations on the platform anymore.

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