One of the things that any good family dentist in Long Island will tell you is that you can’t just rely on regular visits to the dentist to keep your teeth in good shape. You need to exercise some responsibility and discipline and devote a little time each day to maintaining your teeth on your own. Every day, you wage a daily battle against plaque, cavities and gum disease, and all that a family dentist in Long Island do is a bit of extra maintenance and reinforcement in this respect. The rest is up to you.
So while most people are aware of the importance that comes from brushing teeth, there’s also a big emphasis on using traditional dental floss. These days, however, there’s also the addition of new dental tools such as “water floss” machines that put out a jet of highly pressurized water. In fact, the consumer models that are now available to people are functionally similar to the same “industrial strength” versions that may sometimes be used by your own family dentist in Long Island.
So does that mean you should use a water flosser? And if so, is it a substitute for regular flossing?
It All Adds Up
For people willing to put in the effort that are serious about oral care and maintenance, the best possible answer is “Do everything.” This means brushing at least three times a day, using traditional dental floss once a day, and using a water flosser. All of these different techniques do different things for your mouth in terms of what they clean and how they do it. A toothbrush removes the film from the surface of your teeth, a water flosser is good at removing particles between the teeth, and regular floss can get under the gums between teeth to remove germs, bacteria and other contaminants from this area.
This is where dental floss really shines. As a flexible, physical fiber, it can scrape plaque off of teeth and gums, something that a water flosser doesn’t do quite as well. This means that for gum care, in particular, traditional dental floss is still a superior solution.
Of course, some people find the use of dental floss to be a bit of a struggle and so forego it and choose to use just a water flosser instead. This falls under the “better than nothing” category of dental care in terms of results. A water floss machine will measurably clean out your teeth better than just brushing your teeth alone, but still doesn’t yield the same thorough results as a good, properly applied regular flossing.
So while it is recommended to use a water flosser to keep your mouth healthier and cleaner, it’s not advocated using it as a complete substitute for flossing. In the end, if you’re really serious about good oral care, strive to make a regular habit of using all three. It will result in regular check-ups and cleanings at your family dentist in Long Island that are very brief since your teeth will be in such good shape.
