Oral B Ultra Floss - Something to get into your teeth. (Dental Floss in General)

Member Name: salgirl

Product:	Dental Floss in General
Date:	11/05/01 (121 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Good oral hygiene

Disadvantages: Incorrect use can cause problems

...is the closing comment I get every time I visit my Dentist. Now that's easier said than done. As any of us who already do floss are aware, there are problems with this particular form of oral hygiene.

If you get a poor quality material, the gaps between your teeth tend to retain the weak and frayed bit of floss, adding an unattractive sort of raffia look to your mouth. Not only is it visually unpleasant, it's also maddening if you happen to have that elusive strand tickling your gums, and you just can't get it out. The worst thing to do at this point is to try flossing again to get rid of it as you stand every chance of simply adding to the problem. So it stands to reason that you shouldn't scrimp on price here, and quality is the better thing to aim for.

Oral B Ultra Floss is a good place to start. The company is reknown for its range of oral hygiene goods, which always bodes well when seeking out something that's not going to do more harm than good. (Sadly, the most harm is done by the over-enthusiastic owners of teeth, who insist on using the seesawing method when flossing. All this does is to pull the gum away from the base of the tooth, allowing for potential germs and infections to start up).

The best way to floss is to use a good few inches of it, wrapped firmly but comfortably around each index finger, easing it gently between the teeth and removing any debris with care. It is advisable to move down the floss with each tooth, so that any germs that may have collected in other teeth, will not be transferred to a clean site. As there is usually a good few metres (approx 50) in each pack, it's not as if you have to be stingey with it. And all of your teeth should be flossed, not just the ones on show at the front. Practising getting the angles right to get to the back teeth cleaned can be a bit of a pain to start with, and especially if someone is standing next to you in the bathroom. You could find the F.A.
being interested in seeing a video replay of your elbowing of the other half, if you're not careful! If the floss gets stuck between the teeth, simply pull it through, don't try to force it down straight away, and try again with a clean bit.

My Dentist has also advised that the flossing should be done before the brushing is carried out so that any unseeable placque or debris is removed properly.

Oral B's floss is strong enough not to snap at awkward moments (at least, it hasn't done that with me yet), neither does it shred or pull apart. I'm not all that keen on mint flavoured floss for some reason, but that's just a personal thing, and bears little relevance if you brush afterwards. The mint is only handy if you have to floss in an emergency at a restaurant - spinach and raspberry seeds having been my bete noir on many occasions, although not a the same time, I hasten to add. (Yuck!) - as it can leave your mouth feeling as though something hygenic just happened to it.

The boxes are small and easily carried around in make-up bags and made of a sturdy plastic. The lid flips up to show the strand laid across the top and ready to be pulled out to the required length before being hooked round the metal tab and broken off. No fiddling. No messing.

An essential part of oral hygience, and if used correctly and regularly, can help keep down those expensive dental bills.

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