Reach Berry Mint Clean Burst Dental Floss

As any dental health professional will attest to, flossing ones teeth is just as important as brushing, and perhaps more so, for the bacteria that causes gum disease (and to a certain extent cavities) almost always starts between the teeth. Daily flossing breaks up the film of harmful bacteria and allows it to be removed. Therefore, as a dentist, I am always stressing the importance of daily flosing to my patients. My advice is this:

1. Choose a floss that is comfortable to you and is the right thickness for your teeth. Some people prefer floss holders rather than wrapping the floss around the fingers, while others prefer thin flavored floss to waxed thick floss. There are so many options - choose the right one for you.

2. Waxed floss is waxed to allow easier passage between the teeth. Waxed floss is no more effective than unwaxed at removing the bacterial film build-up. The important thing is to floss!

3. Floss once daily, preferably before brushing. Flossing breaks up the film of bacteria between the teeth in areas a toothbrush cannot reach. It is important to then brush the teeth and rinse between the teeth to remove the film of bacteria that the flossing has dislodged. Without brushing or rinsing after flossing, the bacteria can reattach to the teeth.

4. Try to tie in flossing with another habit, such as watching the 10 PM news. I know it sounds strange, but incorporating flossing into another habit leads one into developing a new habit. Some complain that they dont have time to floss; well, if flossing is tied into another habit, such as watching TV, both can easily be done concurrently.

5. There are many gimmicks the manufacturers use to sell their particular brand of floss. Some flavor the floss, some incorporate fluoride into the strands of floss, and some make their floss more slippery for folks with tight contacts. Whatever the case, the most important point is to choose a floss variety you will use regularly. It is the mechanical act of removing the bacterial flim that is the important part, not the flavoring or chemical additions to the floss.

6. If you want to keep your teeth for a life-time, develop the flossing habit. As one wise sage said: If you ignore your teeth, they will eventually go away.

I recommend this product. Neat flavoring too.

Tips on Flossing: 1. Wind 18 inches of floss around your middle fingers, leaving 4 inches of floss between them. 2. Grasp floss between thumb and index finger of each hand. 3. Move floss up and down between teeth. Clean both above and below the gum line, curving floss around each tooth. Use a clean section of floss every few teeth.