Does dental floss make the gaps between teeth bigger?

Dental floss is a very good way to clean food residues from teeth. Generally speaking, as long as dental floss is used correctly, it will cause relatively little damage to the teeth and will not cause significant impact on the gaps between teeth. Many people like to use toothpicks to pick their teeth, which is a very bad habit. It will cause certain damage to the gums and easily lead to gum atrophy. Dental floss is different. It is the best way to clean teeth.

Does dental floss make the gaps between teeth bigger?

Many people have the habit of picking their teeth with toothpicks, which is very common. The Yayouhui Forum believes that the more you pick your teeth, the gaps between teeth will become wider, because the toothpick is very sharp and you cannot stare at the gaps between teeth when picking your teeth, so it is easy to poke the gums and cause gum recession.

Why does using toothpicks cause the gaps between teeth to become larger? This is a question many people have. Frequent and improper use of toothpicks to pick teeth can damage the teeth and gums, causing gum recession, exposed tooth roots, and widening of tooth gaps. The wider the gaps between teeth, the easier it is for food debris to get stuck in, creating a vicious cycle. It is particularly noteworthy that the enlarged gaps between some people's teeth are not caused by improper teeth flossing over the years.

If the gaps between teeth become larger, food often gets stuck in the teeth, which can cause a lot of trouble. The biggest harm of frequently getting food stuck in your teeth is that it causes periodontal disease. When food gets stuck between teeth, it's like a wedge inserted into the gap, which puts pressure on the gums and bones. This can injure the gums and cause the alveolar bone to be gradually absorbed, forming a blind pocket between the gums and the tooth roots, which squeezes food debris further into the tooth. If things go on like this for a long time, the gums may recede and the tooth roots may be exposed.

Different people have different habits in using toothpicks. The elderly may prefer toothpicks, which are mainly suitable for people with obvious gaps between their teeth due to periodontal disease, gum recession, etc. Only use the toothpick if it can be inserted between the teeth.

Now compared to toothpicks, dental floss is more useful.

Due to the many inconveniences in storage and use, toothpicks have gradually been replaced by other auxiliary tools. In particular, after the emergence of dental floss, it has been highly praised because it can effectively remove residues in the teeth and plaque on the adjacent surfaces of the teeth.

The use of dental floss is very different from that of toothpicks. In fact, dental floss is different from ordinary thread. It is composed of many fibers and can form a plane when stretched, thereby increasing the contact area with the teeth. When using dental floss, you should gently place it on the teeth and wear it firmly, but do not press down hard to avoid hurting the gums. After wearing it, you should make it fit against the tooth surface, and then scrape it repeatedly towards one side, so that the gaps between the teeth can be cleaned.