Floss is imperative in eliminating the risk of cavities and gum diseases to remove the built-up plaque. Brushing helps scrub the flat surfaces of the teeth, leaving behind little curved areas, making flossing essential and unavoidable. 

Even after admitting the multiple benefits and the necessity to floss, many people find it challenging to floss. One factor that adds to this difficulty is handling and maneuvering the floss around the teeth. An alternative to conventional dental floss is floss picks. This article covers everything you need to know about how flossing works, whether or not it is beneficial, and so on.

Flossing - A Brief 

Flossing is an essential oral hygiene practice that helps reduce bacteria and plaque in a person's mouth. Before diving deep into floss picks, let's look at the steps to proper flossing. 

1. Wind each end of the floss, approximately 18 inches long, around your middle fingers. 
2. Now, gently thread the floss between the two teeth by taking hold of the floss using your forefinger and thumb. 
3. Move the floss up and away from the gum line by holding it tightly against the side of the tooth. 
4. Ensure you clean the space between the tooth and gum without damaging the gum tissues. 
5. Gently move the floss around the restricted areas and surfaces of the tooth that brushes cannot reach. 
6. Typically, start on one end of the upper teeth and move across by cleaning gaps along the way until you reach the opposite side. Repeat the same for the lower teeth. 

On a cautionary note, bleeding of gums is quite common if you do not usually floss. This could be a sign of gum inflammation. On regular flossing for a week or two, this bleeding usually stops. 

What Are Floss Picks?

Essentially, a floss pick is an interdental cleaner. It is a specially designed D-shaped piece of plastic with a handle containing a taut piece of floss stretched on opposite sides. In other words, the floss pick has a small piece of the floss stretched in a single straight line.

The handle can be short or long, depending on the user's preference. Usually, floss picks are disposable in nature and are disposed of after a single use. The primary purpose of these cleaners is to remove food particles stuck between the teeth, preventing the formation of tartar or leading to other periodontal diseases. 

Do Floss Picks Really Work?

Addressing the elephant in the room, do floss picks work? Subjectively, a lot depends on how people use it. Floss picks also come with portability, allowing enhanced access to the back of the mouth. According to the American Dental Association (ADA), dental floss sticks and other interdental cleaners are beneficial in cleaning tight spaces between the teeth. The flexibility to cater to hard-to-reach surfaces and ease of use make people prefer floss picks over other traditional flossing techniques and interdental cleaners. 

Floss picks must supplement brushing. While brushing helps clean the visible surfaces, floss picks reach tiny gaps inside the teeth where food particles get stuck and turn into plaque. As a best practice, a combination of conventional brushing and floss picks can prevent tooth decay and other gum-related oral diseases. 

Traditional Floss vs. Floss Picks - Which One Is More Effective?

The most prevalent types of floss include regular or traditional floss and floss picks. While traditional flossing involves the person holding the floss, floss picks have a stretched-out piece of floss held by the pick.

With traditional floss requiring dexterous fingers to unwrap a new floss segment for each tooth, floss picks are a newer kind of interdental cleaner that is gaining popularity because of its ease of use. The fact that you do not need to wind and unwind floss sections around the fingers makes floss picks a better choice among people. 

However, the D-shaped design of floss picks makes them less effective than traditional dental floss. This is because the design makes the proper flossing technique challenging throughout the mouth. Besides, using a single floss segment to floss the entire mouth can be unhealthy compared to a new segment of floss for each tooth, in the case of traditional floss. 

When comparing the effectiveness, traditional string floss is often considered more effective than floss picks. The flossing technique is achieved better with the former, helping efficiently remove plaque and food particles between the teeth.

However, floss picks can be an efficient alternative for people who struggle with using traditional floss, especially seniors and those with conditions like arthritis or other dexterity problems. 

Disadvantages of Using Floss Picks

Although floss picks have multiple advantages related to handling and maneuverability, they present some disadvantages. These include: 

• Floss picks are often considered to redistribute bacteria and food particles throughout the entire mouth. This is because the same floss segment is moved throughout the entire mouth. 
• People with tightly packed teeth often consider floss picks to be difficult to use. It becomes challenging to maneuver floss between the teeth, often leading to fraying.
• With a segment of floss fixed in a specific position, floss picks are considered challenging to steer into tight spaces. On the other hand, traditional floss can be maneuvered into various angles. 

Final Thoughts

Whether you prefer floss picks, traditional floss, or even any other type of interdental cleaner, committing to using them consistently remains the key. Including flossing in your daily oral hygiene routine can ensure proper protection of your gums and teeth, preventing several periodontal diseases.

To know more about oral hygiene and proper flossing, schedule an appointment with Patriot Family Dentistry. Improve your oral health by receiving comprehensive dental care from a reliable, experienced, and friendly dentist near you.