All the standard advice for how to floss says to floss under the gumline. Does that mean as far down the tooth as the floss can go, or a certain distance? Also, is the gum actually attached to the tooth in any way? Would flossing too deep cause any kind of damage? Thanks for answering my possibly dumb questions.
Posted Jan 10, 2014, 10:55 PM UTC
Basically, the floss should disappear between that pink triangle of gum tissue and the tooth, on both sides, until you meet resistance. I give it a good 2-3 scrubs up and down in the c-shape that Keysss described.
Not dumb. No matter how many times I seem to show and tell my patients, there are people who just can't figure it out... or don't care. Glad you are curious and trying to use good technique.
Your gums are attached to your tooth, creating a little pocket between your gums and your teeth. This is where plaque/bacteria pool and cause problems. The goal of flossing is to clean all the bacteria from the entire pocket.
Flossing too hard, not too deep can cause some problems (recession...and pain!)
The gums are supported by bone. Floss as far as you can go and remember to kind of curve the floss into a C shape for every proximal surface so you are actually scraping the plaque off the whole area rather than just dislodging food in the interproximal areas (a lot of people do this wrong). Just be gentle. Also remember there are two surfaces per area you stick your floss into, so make sure to clean both sides.
Not dumb questions at all!
Flossing too deep will not cause any damage, just make sure to be gentle. You could probably traumatise your gums and cause bone loss if you REALLY tried - but you would have to be persistent and willingly put yourself through pain lol.
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