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Posted on 2/20/2019 by Dr. Leary |
 We always recommend flossing as a way to remove debris from your teeth when you can't brush. Flossing also helps to remove plaque which can cause dental decay and lead to cavities. In addition, it helps to keep bacteria from growing by removing the environment that helps it to grow. Dental floss has come a long way over the years. It comes in a variety of delivery systems and is made of a variety of materials and thickness. This is beneficial because if you have teeth that have small spaces between them, thicker floss and unwaxed floss may not be as effective as floss that is thinner and/or waxed. Picking Floss Depends on Your Specific NeedsWhich dental floss you choose to use should be one that is easy for you to manipulate and also that is best for the shape of your teeth. Another factor to consider is if you have dental appliances such as dentures or braces. Waxed floss generally is better for patients with appliances because the waxed floss facilitates getting the floss around the appliance without fraying or breaking. Is the Wax Safe? The wax used on waxed floss is perfectly safe. It doesn't have side effects nor does it appear to trigger allergic responses. But you are worried that the wax will come off and cause you problems. We can tell you that many of our patients use waxed floss. We have never encountered any problems with the wax from this type of floss. We also haven't heard of any patients complain about wax cause issues. If you wonder if the wax will come off between your teeth you can always experiment yourself. For example, you could take an eyebrow tweezer and pull the floss through it while it is clamped. You will likely find no wax left on your tweezers. If this were a problem, dental literature would note it and we would have been informed of the dangers. Remember that these products are also evaluated by the American Dental Association. If there was a problem with the wax coming off and lodging between your teeth, we can guarantee that they would not be approved. |
