Brushing or Flossing: Which is Better?

The distinction between brushing and flossing is often a personal preference. Both actions help in reducing the risk of gum disease and tooth decay. While brushing the teeth alone cleans only about 60% of the tooth surface, it is important to complete the cleaning process by also flossing.

For a lot of us, flossing is an important and standard part of our daily teeth cleaning routine, and it is recommended by most dentists. However, some other online articles have managed to muddy the water of this concept. There are such titles as “Flossing the teeth does little good”.

Now with headlines like this, one might tend to gravitate toward the belief that brushing is better than flossing. Many have further claimed that brushing is more effective in preventing gum disease and plaque. but these comparisons are just personal speculations. It is not easy to make a general assessment about which is better between the two.

The Benefits of Flossing and Brushing

The comparisons made between flossing and brushing appear to be personal speculations. It is not easy to make a general assessment about which is better between the two.

Every dentist knows that there is no particular approach that fits everyone when it comes to taking care of our teeth. That’s why some people go on dental tourism to know what suits them. Because of this fact, there are some tailored approaches to each person depending on several factors, such as:

• Whether there are gaps between the teeth or not, including how tight these gaps are

• Level of hygiene motivation for the individual

• Muscular guarding – when brushing, oral muscles can contract involuntarily, and this can make access to oral hygiene a little harder

• Gag reflex

• Mouth size – when the mouth is small, it may be harder to get access to floss back teeth.

• The manual dexterity of the individual plays an important role in the act of flossing

• Whether the mouth is affected by diseases associated with the gum, such as periodontal disease

Flossing and brushing go hand-in-hand, and they perform different functions in different areas of the mouth. Interdental brushing is often advised in a situation where there are spaces between the teeth, or there is loss of gum attachment due to gum disease. Interdental brushes are the ones that can clean between the teeth. The bristles on an interdental brush are held in place by wire and shaped like those on a mascara wand. This wire is attached to a handle that resembles a toothbrush handle but is often shorter.

As it is important to floss, brushing with fluoride toothpaste for approximately 2 minutes twice every day is also essential.

Interdental brushes are:

• great for removing food particles and getting rid of bacteria from the teeth

• easier to use

• great for navigating between wires and braces

• more expensive than floss

Dental floss is:

• more difficult to use in cleaning teeth that have braces

• takes time in cleaning teeth correctly

• effective in fitting tight spaces

• less expensive

Whether you prefer flossing to brushing or vice versa, everyone needs to practice some sort of interdental cleaning rather than just scrubbing the teeth or poking them with thread. You can go on dental holidays to know what suits you.