How Flossing Too Hard Can Damage Teeth

Flossing is an incredibly important part of your child’s oral health routine. Flossing allows the removal of plaque and food debris from between the teeth where your child’s toothbrush cannot reach. Dentists all agree that flossing is the best way to keep the gum tissue healthy and prevent gum disease and gingivitis.

However, if you’re too aggressive with flossing your child’s teeth, you may be causing them harm. Flossing too vigorously can eventually cause damage to the gum tissue and the tooth enamel, harming your child’s oral health.

Aggressive Flossing

Below are a few ways that flossing too much or too hard can damage your child’s oral health:

• Flossing multiple times per day – Flossing too many times in a day can increase the odds that you’re harming your child’s gums. As the gum tissue begins to recede, the roots of the teeth may become exposed, causing pain and sensitivity. For the best results, you only need to floss your child’s teeth once a day.
• Flossing too roughly – Some people may floss too vigorously and enthusiastically, harming both the tooth enamel and the gum tissue. Damage can be done to both the gums and the teeth as the enamel wears away.
• Flossing causing gum recession – When trying to get the floss through the teeth, some parents may pull too hard on the floss. This causes the floss to come into rough and violent contact with the gum tissue, causing it to go beneath the gum line. This can result in bleeding, gum recession, and eventual gum disease. Don’t allow the floss to open up spaces for bacteria to enter into the gum tissue, as this can cause infection or tooth decay.

If you’re not sure how to floss your child’s teeth correctly, please don’t hesitate to ask us for a simple demonstration. We can help you know how much pressure to apply and how to floss correctly to make sure you’re helping your child’s oral health and not harming it.

To make an appointment for your child to receive a dental cleaning and a checkup, please contact Piedmont Pediatric Dentistry. Our pediatric dental office is located in Greensboro, North Carolina.